Lies by Omission
by TheNotSoNiceLibrarian
Summary: Three years has passed since Kagome was forced home; now she must continue on despite the hole her friend's absence has left in her heart. New friends are made; yet secrets are horded. Can two injuried souls let go of their hurt? Meanwhile, trouble brews in the Makai; whispers reach the Reiki of an evil miasma thats slowly creeping from the darkest corners of the realm...
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own IY or YYH.

A/N: This is a crossover; that in and of itself makes it an AU. This means that some details of the two anime's may have been changed. If you spot a obviously legitimate mistake; please let me know so I can correct it... otherwise please don't nit-pick.

For my wonderful reviewer Stina... since she asked so nicely and is so diligent in her reviews . The first two chapters of a brand new Kag/Kur fic just for you...as promised ^.^ I hope you like it.

Lies by omission

Chapter 1: Prologue

Naraku was dead; his malicious power forever eradicated from the world by the combined might of Sesshomaru's Bakusaiga, Inuyasha's Tessiaga and Kagome's purification powers. The fractured jewel was whole once more. The pale pink bauble gleamed in the firelight as Kagome danced with her teammates.

Laughter filled the village as both demon and human put aside their prejudices to celebrate. For three days and nights the celebration went on; even the lofty Sesshomaru stayed for the festivities.

On the cusp of the fourth day; Kagome sought out her best friend and beloved hanyo. She could barely make him out in the shadowy gloom of the forest; he stood before the bone eaters well, staring down into its depths.

"InuYasha?" She called softly, coming up next to him.

Golden eyes glanced at her and briefly his lips curled into a smile.

"Hey..." he replied, his normally brash voice soft in the early morning hours.

"What are you doing out here?" She asked, "Everything ok?"

"Yea..." he said almost dejectedly, "what...what do you plan on doing now?"

Kagome paused; she hadn't actually thought past killing Naraku and completing the jewel. She starred down into the blackness of the well and thought...

The way she saw it; she had two options: stay or go home. As much as she missed her family; the jewel did not belong in her time. It belonged in the past where priestesses had real power and there were those who were willing to help her protect it. While demons were extraordinarily rare in her time; they were still there. The Noh mask and Soul Piper had proven that; if InuYasha hadn't been there she would have died and lost the jewel. It wasn't as if she could ask her friend to stay in her time and protect her; the hanyo didn't belong in the modern era any more than a mystical jewel did.

"I think...I'd like to stay here;" she said softly, "the jewel has no place in my time..."

They were silent for a long time before InuYasha shifted; a clawed hand reached out and pulled her into a hug. Kagome sighed, relaxing into his embrace.

"I'll always protect you;" he whispered, Kagome smiled into his chest. It wasn't a declaration of love...but it would do.

"The jewel does belong here;" he said softly, stroking her hair. InuYasha closed his eyes and inhaled her scent one last time; his heart breaking...

He pulled her away from him; golden eyes starred at her sadly, committing her loving face to memory. He swallowed hard;

"But you don't," he said softly. Dark eyes widened in shock.

"You don't belong here!" He snarled, as her eyes filled with tears.

"Inu...yasha..." she whispered brokenly.

Steeling his heart against her tears; he snatched the jewel from around her neck.

"Go home!" He snarled, shoving her backward. Startled, she stumbled, legs catching on the well. Chocolate eyes widened in surprised as she toppled backward and plummeted into the darkness of the well.

He felt the magic flare and fade. She was gone. But; he had to make sure...

Claws bit into wood as he destroyed the ancient well; the magic of the ancient structure fading with its destruction.

He collapsed to his knees amidst the ruin; breath ragged and tears sliding silently down his face. She was gone... safe in her time. Never again would the girl Kagome Higurashi be able to return to the feudal era.

"Be safe..." he whispered; only the silent trees baring witness to his anguish.

Soon he stood; jewel still clasp in his hand. He turned from the village; it would be dawn before they noticed Kagome's absence. By then...he would be gone.

He only had one more thing left unresolved...

He ran a hand lovingly against the trunk of the massive Tree of Ages. There, he left Tessaiga... he wouldn't need it where he was going.

"Good bye," he whispered; "I will always love you..."

But he had a prior obligation he had to fulfill.

He turned his back on the ancient tree and disappeared into the forest following the faint scent of graveyard soil...

Kagome starred up at the wooden roof of the well-house; the scents of dirt and mildew filling her nose. Silent tears slid down her cheeks.

She had felt the subtle shift in the well's energy as the magic seemed to drain away. . It was now just a normal, average, run of the mill, dried well.

She was home… for good.

Pain welled up in her chest; she turned on her side, curling into a ball...and sobbed. Sad golden eyes filled her vision and somehow she knew what the foolish hanyo had planned.

She lay on the cool hard pack dirt in the quiet solitude of the well's darkness...and mourned.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own IY or YYH.

Lies by Omission

Chapter 2:

Three years had passed since she had returned; three long, demon free, incredibly dull, boring, NORMAL years. Now she was in college; her major still undecided. She was leaning toward a degree in teaching and one for mythical studies; yet her mother and girlfriends had all questioned the practicality of such a degree. Teaching, sure...that was a worthy pursuit; but Mythical Studies...what was the point in that? She sighed; how could she ever explain to them the ache she still felt everyday within her breast... the longing to feel connected to what she had lost? Foolish she knew... grasping at straws in some desperate bid to remain connected to a time she was never truly a part of.

Sadly, she had found that nothing seemed to be able to hold her interest for long anymore. Everything was dull and lifeless. Every day was like the one before; routine and predictable. The only thing that she looked forward too anymore, were her martial arts classes with Sensei Chang; a Chinese national who for some reason settled in Japan. Kagome had been blessed to find Sensei Chang's dojo a few months after returning home; his morning classes were the only thing that kept her sane. The Sensei and his life partner and fellow instructor were the only color in a now colorless world.

"Focus!" Sensei Chang's sharp command broke through her musings; even as a blow to her stomach further accentuated the point.

She growled; a sound that was oddly unnerving coming from such a delicate looking woman.

Yet looks were deceiving; for Chang knew better than anyone that the woman in front of him was anything but a delicate flower. When she had first appeared in his dojo three years ago; she was nothing but a shadow, broken, defeated. Depression had sunk its claws into her; yet still determination shone in her eyes. She was grasping at straws; desperate for help... needing something to anchor her and return her balance.

He honestly hadn't expected her to be as good as she was. She was a perfect student; soaking up his lessons like a sponge, diligently practicing every night. It quickly became apparent that Kagome was used to dealing with opponents faster than herself; her instincts tracking and anticipating attacks causing her to move with almost lightning quickness. It wasn't always like that, of course, at first she had to often second guessed those instincts; pausing to look at what she sensed rather than simply reacting.

He smiled as she dodged another strike from his partner; Maxwell had taken an instant liking to the girl. The American had muttered something about recognizing a lost soul when he saw one. He had decided that while Chang taught her the traditional styles of fighting; he was going to teach her the dirtier styles. At the time Chang had protested; but he soon realized that perhaps she needed it. The traditional forms he taught were more for calming and inner reflection. Maxwell's skills had been honed in the slums, in the streets, used for survival rather than competition. When his partner's other persona rose to the surface, he was cold, cruel and vicious... something he hadn't thought the young girl would need... yet somehow did. Someone had needed to show her how to harness the anger and pain that had eaten its way down into her soul. Chang hadn't been able to help her with that... his temper had always burned hot, easily harnessed with practiced meditation. Maxwell, on the other hand, understood. He understood being alone in a sea of people, hiding behind a smile and a joker's facade; all the while feeling like he was dying inside.

Kagome's face split into a feral grin as she scored a bloody 'hit' along her Sensei's ribs. Her opponent snarled; violet eyes flashing as he lunged forward. She dodged to the side as his 'knife' barely skimming her side, leaving a thing red trail in its wake.

Finally Chang blew his whistle; ending the sparring session. Both combatants collapsed to the mat; breathing heavily.

Kagome grinned as she flopped back against the cool mat; a dull thud near her feet indicated her Sensei had done the same.

"Damn girl," Maxwell said, "I dunno who was giving who the work out there."

Kagome laughed; her heart feeling light in her chest. It seemed that the only joy she took out of the day anymore was when she arrived at the dojo each morning.

"You were sloppy," Chang stated, "It took Maxwell nearly knocking the breath out of you to get you to focus."

Kagome hung her head; " I know Sensei..." she said, "It won't happen again. I just… I didn't sleep well last night..."

"The dreams again?" Maxwell asked. Kagome nodded. She hadn't told them her history; who would believe she had traveled to the past and fought demons while looking for a sacred jewel? It didn't matter that at times Sensei Maxwell's eyes would shift and seem to glow; and for a second she could almost feel the familiar tickle of demonic energy from the American.

No, she hadn't told them...instead she had given them an extremely edited version.

"I haven't had that dream in months," she admitted, "still... it sometimes feels like it just happened."

She had dreamed of InuYasha the night before; the night of their victory celebrations, the night he stole the jewel and forced her back home. She had spent the morning gazing at the tattered form of Tessaiga hanging on her wall; and had wept. She didn't know what had become of the jewel... but around the same time she found the Tessiaga buried in a box at the base of the Tree of Ages... she had felt the missing part of her soul return to her. She had known then that InuYasha had kept his promise to Kikyo. The bloody fool had willing gone to hell with her…

Maxwell leaned forward and gripped her shoulder in silent sympathy. In the three years she been training with them the two men had become more than just teachers; they were her closest friends. Unlike her girlfriends from school; they didn't expect her to be happy and smiling all the time. She could relax around them and let down her carefully constructed mask.

"C'mon," Maxwell said leaping to his feet in a sudden burst of energy. "I'll make breakfast while you get cleaned up. You've got plenty of time to eat before your first class."

Kagome glanced at Chang and they shared a smile at the others antics. Kagome wasn't sure where Maxwell got his sudden surges of energy; but if she could figure out how to bottle it...she could make a fortune.

She showered, changed and ate; enjoying the calm serenity that seemed to permeate the grounds. After breakfast she sat and meditated with Sensei Chang before finally heading off to class feeling far calmer and centered then she had when she arrived.

As she walked through the hall to her next class; it was impossible to NOT notice the throng of women milling about outside of one room in particular.

_'Please let that not be my class..._' she said a silent prayer to whatever deity would listen. There was only one reason for there to be a pack of women cooing in front of a classroom...the one and only Shuichi Minamino was in the room. The poor man couldn't go to the restroom without having a horde of women following him. She had yet to actually meet the local eye-candy legend; but it seemed that every girl to ever lay eyes on him fell hopelessly in love with him. Even Eki and Yumi had lamented upon the man's exotic beauty.

She hoped it wasn't him… _Please oh please, let it be something else… a cute puppy maybe?_ She fervently prayed. Anything, but Minamino…

She clenched her jaw as she forced her way through the horde, since of course the gods hated her and her classroom just HAD to be the one the rabid fan girls were situated in front of. Being that she knew the fates enjoyed laughing at her expense; she was not surprised that the first thing to draw her attention from within the room was the bright red hair of one, Shuichi Minamino.

"Bloody wonderful"... she grumbled to herself.

The professor demanded to see her schedule immediately upon stepping past the threshold; only allowing her to take her seat when he was satisfied that she did indeed belong in that class. Apparently, there were a large number of women who were trying to sneak into the class instead of going to their own.

Kagome wanted to slap her forehead at the idiocy of it all. For god's sake; all this fuss over one guy? Sheesh…

Seats were assigned; and surprise surprise... she was seated next to the red headed god the majority of the female student body lusted after. Just her luck. Already the other girls in the class where glaring daggers at her; and here she thought demon females were possessive.

She studied the man as she approached their desk; true, he was insanely good looking. His hair was long and silky; the same color as newly spilt blood... she closed her eyes as images flashed before her minds eyes and her stomach rolled. She had seen too much blood in her young life, to truly appreciate the color like so many women did. At least he didn't smell of blood; instead he smelled of green things, of grass and trees with the soft scent of roses. It was an appealing fragrance; odd choice for a man though.

Cool emeralds watched her from narrowed slits as she approached; they lacked the warmth of Shippo's brilliant forest colored orbs. Rather Shuichi's brilliant eyes were cold and calculating; more reminiscent of Sesshomaru's... always watching, calm, collected, intelligent and cunning...and OLD.

As that thought crossed her mind, suddenly, the image of Shuichi Minamino was over-laid with an image of a silver haired, golden eyed demon. He so resembled InuYasha that she stumbled as she got to her chair. When she looked back up; the image was gone and green eyed regarded her silently with mild distrust and just a touch of irritation.

She smiled, "Well, seems I'm still a klutz..." she stated, with a laugh. Yes, he was good looking… but in no way did he compare to Sesshomaru. Then again, honestly, what mere mortal could ever compare to the lofty Killing Perfection?

Kurama regarded the girl next to him from the corner of his eye with mild curiosity. He hadn't paid her any mind as she walked in; just another women to add to the ever growing fan club. Yet, something about her stare was different from the others. He glanced up at her... emerald green clashed with dark chocolate brown. For a moment as their eyes met if felt like those dark orbs had pierced him to the core; almost like she had seen through him to his true kitsune form beneath.

Then she tripped and the connection was broken. Yet, after one semi-embarrassed laugh; the girl didn't speak to him. She didn't flirt and drool over him like most women did. She was busy rummaging around in her knapsack gathering her book and supplies; seemingly oblivious to his presence.

It gave him a moment to silently study her. Her energy was the first thing he noticed; it seemed to buzz softly along his own, emanating an odd, soothing warmth. Physically she was unremarkable; small in stature, barely taller than Hiei. Her black hair was long and fell in soft waves down her back. She wore slim fitting jeans, brown boots that stopped just shy of her knees and billowy pale blue top that had a tendency to slide off one shoulder.

Her skin was a darker than most women's and lacked the strange orange-ish tint that many women's who had false tans had; indicating that she spent a lot of time outside. Her eyes, though warm, flitted around the room constantly...almost as if she was studying the room and the people in it... or perhaps she suffered from A.D.D.

As the teacher began to speak, Kurama couldn't help but have his attention caught by the tiny flashes of light off the girls ring and nails. The nails, longer than average, were painted a variety of colors... each nail sported two tones...one green and blue, another purple and pink, another green and pink... all spring colors... all sparkled and shimmered in the overhead lights. A silver ring adorned her finger; the swirling blue and green stone sparking and flashing in the florescent lighting. Studying the ring... he noticed tiny white scars crisscrossing her hands; the knuckles on her left hand looked odd, like they had been broken at some point and not healed properly.

Her other hand effortless twirled her pen between her fingers; his sharp eyes could see callouses on her hands and more scars.

As the class wore on; the girl, Kagome if the roll call was to be trusted, lifted her arms above her head, stretching back over the back of the chair. Her billowy sleeves slide back to bunch around her shoulder revealing tanned, well-defined arms covered in faint scars and four very distinct puncture wounds on the back of her upper arm. The scars were pale with age; but they had been significant enough that the marks hadn't faded.

Interesting….

A break was called before they started the lab portion of the class. Kurama didn't even attempt to get out of the class room. There was no point; he would never get past the gaggle of fan girls still lingering in the hall, down to the lounge, then back through the throng before it was time to return to class. It was just easier to stay in class.

Kagome stood and strolled from the room; she needed to get her blood circulating again if she was to remain awake during the next portion of the class. Plus...she was in desperate need of caffeine.

The class itself wasn't bad, she enjoyed biology; but the professor's voice was sooooo monotone. Even the ever studious Shuichi looked a little wilted. With that thought in mind she grabbed two iced Frappuccino's from the vending machine and a couple bags of skittles.

She made her way back to the classroom; only to see that the horde had grown since she left. How did Shuichi stand it? Hell, how did his teachers stand it?

She forced her way back through the mass of estrogen; beginning to feel less and less guilty about the accidental injuries she inflicted as she elbowed her way through. Clearly, some of these girls were brain-damaged….

"Jeez Louise..." she muttered as she finally broke through and started up the steps toward her seat. Shuichi watched the mass with barely concealed exasperation and a ting of fear...

"Ever think about just loudly declaring to them all that you're gay and are taken?" She asked, setting her food stuffs down on the desk. Emerald eyes flicked toward her then away; hardly acknowledging her words.

She snorted; playing that game was he. Guess she couldn't blame him; if he didn't speak to any females then they couldn't get any more obnoxious then they already were. Plus, if he did show favoritism to one by having a conversation... then the rest would probably mob the girl in the hall out of sheer jealousy.

Right, so no talking to Mr. Popular.

Wonderful.

She was seriously beginning to miss the hordes of demons she use to fight. Least then she could take some sweet satisfaction whenever Tessaiga had ripped through them…. Yet here she was again, dealing with another horde… only this time… she couldn't kill them.

The fates, gods, powers-that-be….whatever they were called…. Clearly enjoyed laughing at her.

She flopped back into her chair; she reached for the second coffee intent on offering it to the other student… only to pause as several of the other women in the class approached him, baring refreshments as well. Shuichi politely accepted the offerings; setting them on the desk in front of him. He didn't touch any of them. Not one bottle was opened, not a single candy eaten.

Wow.

Silently Kagome slide the extra Frappuccino into her bag, along with the extra bag of candy. There was no point in giving it to Shuichi; it was clear that he would just assume that it was another fan girl offering like all the rest. She wasn't going to waste the precious caffeine and sugar on someone who wasn't going to appreciate it.

Soon the break ended, the class doors were closed, and the professor started the second portion of the class. Being that it was the lab portion; they would need partners.

Instantly a mini riot broke out as everyone scrambled to find a partner; Kurama was instantly swarmed by women in the class, all vying for his attention.

"EVERYONE TAKE YOUR SEATS NOW!" The professor thundered; a rare change from his usual monotone. "Since it seems that choosing partners in a calm, organized fashion is beyond this classes abilities… your partners will be chosen based on your seating arrangements. Whoever you share a desk with will be your partner for the remainder of the semester."

Kurama glanced at the woman beside him and sighed; high school at taught him that no good could ever come from having a female lab partner. Either they were constantly flirting with him or the rest of the female student body would force the other to leave the class. It didn't make any sense at all. They all wanted him; but heaven forbid if any one of them actually made any progress…

It made him very glad that back in high school Yusuke, Kwuabara and Keiko were all in another school; he was reasonably free to socialize with them without the repercussions. Then again, even if they were in the same school as he had been; it was hard to imagine anyone intimidating Yusuke. The majority of students in the area still whispered about the "Great Yusuke Urameshi" as if he was some sort of boogie-man. His girlfriend Keiko was equally respected for the fact that she 'tamed' Urameshi… though in Kurama's opinion Yusuke was just as wild and reckless as ever. Keiko was just the one who put up with him the longest.

Kagome sighed and barely resisted the urge to bang her head against the desktop as the professor declared the new lab partners. Already she could feel the hate filled glares of her fellow classmates. She didn't need demon hearing to hear the venomous whispers of the other woman; jealous of her new position as Shuichi's lab partner. This was an aggravation she DIDN'T need.

Kurama blinked as the girl beside him dropped her head to the desk and lightly began to thump her forehead repeatedly against the hard surface.

"What are you doing?" he asked; clearly the woman was a couple French fries short of a Happy Meal.

Dark chocolate eyes peered up at him seriously from beneath waves of midnight black;

"No offense Shuichi," she said dryly, "I wouldn't want to be your lab partner for all the good grades in the world…it's just not worth the aggravation…."

He blinked at her; stunned despite himself. She straightened in her chair, the red mark on her forehead doing little to take away from the seriousness in her eyes. He, Kurama… had no idea what to say to her. He was at a loss… What the hell do you say to that sort of statement?

"I'm sorry you feel that way," he replied, finally settling on polite disinterest, "I'll try not to be an aggravation."

Kagome snorted, "Yea, I'm sure," she replied, "You're fan club on the other hand has no such morals."

Kurama glanced towards the group of four women situated at the front of the class; sure enough they were glaring up at Kagome, whispering amongst themselves.

"Oh dear…" he said, intrigued that she recognized the danger the professor had inadvertently placed her in.

"Yea…" she muttered, "That's a mild way of putting it…"

"Perhaps it won't escalate?" he said, knowing that he was just grasping at straws.

Another snort, "Riiiight," she muttered, "You're a fool if you believe THAT. You know full well that half the college already knows we're partners…."

He sighed, "For what it's worth…" he said, "I apologize."

She waved off the apology, "Not your fault you have good genes that apparently make women lose their damn minds," she stated, then giving him a grin, "I had better be getting a freaking perfect score out of this class for this…."

Kurama smiled at her; if it was possibly the very air seemed to darken within the room at the small gesture. Kagome was suddenly very glad that she had been taking all those classes with Sensei Chang and Sensei Maxwell; she had a sneaking suspicion that all too soon she might actually be in need those skills. Bloody hell….

**A/N: Chapter 2 is up for my new fic. Not quite sure where it's going yet... but it's going. I apologize now for American-izing the school and college life. I don't know how Japanese school systems are; I've heard they are very different from American ones... but since I know nothing about being a student in Japan... I'm going to go with what I know. Which is American school systems because well... I am American. Surprise surprise! LOL. Also... can anyone guess who the cameo characters were? ^.^ And no they aren't major characters in this story; they were simply the characters I thought of when I first thought of someone teaching Kagome martial arts. I think that covers everything... I hope you enjoy! REVIEW!**


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own IY or YYH

Lies by Omission

Chapter 3:

The days progressively got worse as the news spread like wild fire around the campus that Kagome Higurashi was Shuichi Minamino's lab partner. One wouldn't think that being paired by the teacher would be such a big issue… it wasn't like they were dating. Honestly, they were lab partners. What the hell?

Kagome glared at yet another nasty text message on her cellphone. How the hell were these people getting her number? She was half tempted to drop the class just to save herself the harassment. However, Kagome was never one to allow anyone to push her around. She hadn't let an overbearing, obnoxious hanyo do it nor had she let the pompous terrifying Lord Sesshomaru do it; so she sure as hell wasn't going to allow a bunch of rabid fan-girls to do it.

Needless to say; by the time she got to her Biology class that day, she was livid. She had never thought herself to be a particularly violent individual; granted she was generally well-liked so there was no reason to be violent…especially now that she wasn't constantly fighting with earlier mentioned obnoxious hanyo. After everything she had been through in the last few days, however… she was ready to make an exception….

Kurama glance warily at the woman beside him; though her face seemed serene and calm, a small smile playing across her lips… he could feel the anger bubbling under the surface.

"Are you….ok...Kagome?" he asked cautiously; she turned to give him a sunny smile.

"I'm fine," she replied, "Just been one of them days…"

"Oh…of course…" Still… Kurama's instincts warned that there was something brewing under that sunny façade.

Honestly he was rather surprised she was still around; in the past it had only taken a couple days before the poor woman had switched classes to get away from the harassment. So far, Kagome had made it a week.

When break was called an hour and a half later; Kagome didn't get up for her normal trip down to the lounge.

"No snacks today?" he asked; Seconds later an extra-large bag of Wild Berry Skittles tossed onto the desk in response, followed by a Mountain Dew.

"Would you like one?" she asked, "I normally keep a couple on me to get me through my classes. Caffeine is my frieeeend."

Kurama chuckled at her and accepted the offer of a drink and candy. They sat quietly; each occupied by their own thoughts. When class resumed; Kagome could once again feel the heated glares from the other women… more intense than usual.

By the end of the class; Kagome was just ready to leave… Her temper was beyond frayed and she longed for the quiet solitude of her small apartment with its cool cave-like darkness. She had spent the better part of the last two years creating her own little haven away from the outside world. It wasn't far from her family shrine; so she was able to walk there frequently to help her mother with the shrine duties; though in all honestly, her brother had taken far more of an interest in the day to day running of the shrine…

Yes, she thought, as something hit her in the head and went bouncing across the floor; she was ready to go home. Take a nice, LOOOOOOOONG soak in her the tub, with her lavender scented bath salts; the lights turned down and some sandalwood incense burning in the front room…. Yea… that sounded like heaven at the moment. Much better then commiting mass homicide...

"Class before you leave," the professor stated, catching everyone's attention. "Get with your lab partners, there will be a project over the weekend. You must complete a five page research paper…."

Kagome's mind shuttered to a stop at her professors words. She wanted to drop her head to the desk and repeatedly bang it against the unyielding surface.

Were the powers-that-be conspiring against her? Honestly… all she wanted was to finish up her second year, work on her next book and live in peace. She had about all the excitement she could stand while she was in the feudal era and her heart was still heavy with it; she didn't need the added aggravation of dealing with mean, spiteful, obsessive fan girls who didn't have a snowballs chance in HELL of gaining Shuichi's attention sending her snide, threatening messages and disrupting the Zen she had spent the last three years building!

She very slowly and carefully put everything back into her bag; concentrating on counting her breathing. She needed to calm down… there was no reason to lose her temper. This was something she would just have to deal with… just breathe in one, two, three; breathe out, one, two, three…..

Finally, as the red haze seemed to fade from her vision, she sighed; resigned to the fact that despite she fervent wish to spend as little time around Shuichi as she could, she was stuck spending an afternoon with him.

Damn the teacher for giving them a research paper the first week of the semester...Double damn him, for assigning her Shuichi Minamino as a partner.

_Breathe, Kagome;_ she told herself, _you've survived worse…._

"So..." she said, trying to keep her voice even; "how do you want to do this?"

They would have to get together over the weekend to finish the research and write the paper; which meant spending more time with the one person she wanted to avoid… which further meant that the harassment would increase tenfold...and she would probably be calling her mother asking for bail money...

"No need to concern yourself..." Shuichi stated, "I'll take care of it..."

As tempting as the offer was; Kagome's conscience pricked her and she felt her eye begin to twitch...

"As tempting as that is," she said, "I can't let you do all of the work alone."

Kurama glanced up at the young woman standing next to him; she regarded him steadily; her gaze never wavering in its sincerity.

"You're serious..." he said, surprised. Most partners he was assigned let him do all the work, content in the knowledge that he would get them a good grade.

"Well I'm not most partners," Kagome stated, crossing her arms over her chest as Kurama realized he had spoken the second part of his thought aloud. "I don't need a free ride, Shuichi," she continued, "I pull my own weight. So do you want to meet at the library on Friday or Saturday?"

"Friday," he said, "I work Saturday and Sunday."

"Alright," she said, "I'll see you at the library... say 'round noon? Or is that too early?"

Kurama shook his head, "that works out fine..."

Kagome wrote something down in her notebook then ripped a portion of the paper out.

"Call if you can't make it," she said, handing him the folded paper; then stalked off down the steps.

Kurama watched her leave; he crumpled the paper up...intent on doing what he normally did when a woman gave him their number. Yet, as his hand was poised over the trash; her words echoed in his head. Perhaps she wasn't like the rest? She was his partner for the rest of the semester; it wouldn't hurt to have her number...

The next day found Kagome at the dojo; like every morning she practiced with both her Senseis, had breakfast with them and meditated. Unlike the rest of the week; Kagome didn't leave for school. Every Friday and Saturday she stayed and taught a morning class then an evening class. Well, it was more like she assisted...still she enjoyed it and the classes helped fill the time.

As the morning class wound down; Sensei Maxwell walked over, his long braid swishing behind him like a cat's tail.

"Kid, didn't you say you had a date today at noon?" He asked. Kagome rolled her eyes at him.

"It's not a date," she stated, "we're working on a research paper."

"Right, right" he muttered, "We used that excuse too didn't we 'Fei?"

"The point the baka is trying to make," Chang said, rolling his eyes at his partner. "Wasn't this engagement set for noon?"

"Yea...why?" Kagome asked, brushing a lock of hair from her eyes.

Onyx eyes looked pointedly at the clock over her left shoulder. She turned...

It read 12:05...

"Shit!" She swore, bolting out of the room like the hounds of Hell were on her heels. She didn't slow as she scooped up her bag and sweat shirt as she raced by.

Maxwell watched as she shrugged her jacket on as she ran; ponytail flying behind her like a flag.

"He must be cute," the violet eyed man stated absently; his partner gave his braid a sharp tug.

"Baka..."

Kurama glanced at his watch; quarter after. Where was Kagome? He ground his teeth; 'not like most partners' his ass.

Irritated, Kurama turned to go into the library; resigned to doing the project alone, like usual…

A flash of black and white caught his eye. For a moment he thought it was Hiei... but the figure wasn't moving fast enough to be the fire apparition.

Kagome leapt up the steps two at a time coming to stop in front of Kurama; her hair wind-blown, breathing harsh, her cheeks rosy from the exertion.

"Sorry I'm late," she said, "Class ran a little over..."

"Of course," he said politely, "shall we?"

"You didn't need to run here…" Kurama stated after a moment, Kagome shrugged and grinned;

"I was late…" she stated, pulling her hair out of it's tail, "I didn't want to make you wait any longer then you already were…"

"The school is three blocks away..." he said, "You wouldn't have been THAT late…"

"Oh I wasn't at the University today," she stated, "I help teach a self-defense class over at the Dragon Dojo on Friday's and Saturdays."

Kurama paused for a moment to regard her; "that Dojo is on the other side of the campus..." he stated, "it's a thirty minute drive from here..."

Kagome shrugged as she tossed her bag onto a vacant table in the back of the nonfiction section and unzipped the black sweatshirt she had on.

"Only if you take the streets," she stated, nonchalantly, "traffic is what takes so long. Walking its only maybe fifteen or twenty minutes; I made it in ten. Nice little work out though, I do it every morning as a warm up."

Kurama shook his head; what a strange woman. Kagome didn't miss the look Shuichi gave her before silently shaking his head and setting his stuff down. She ignored the look and they went to work gathering materials for the paper. Once they had hashed out the topic for their paper; Kurama found that Kagome was a surprisingly apt researcher. She was well acquainted with the library and, unlike many he had been forced to work with over the years, Kagome actually DID contribute. Books and copies were scattered across the table as they huddled together; quietly discussing the topic and how to write the paper.

"So THIS is what you meant by studying at the library," a dry female voice stated, drawing their attention.

Two figures stood in front of their table. The first; a tall older woman in brown slacks and a tan long sleeve shirt, with long light brown hair and dark blue eyes regarded them with a small smirk. The second; a taller youth about their age whose carrot orange hair was styled in something similar to Elvis... or perhaps Johnny Bravo...He stood regarding them with a huge shit-eating grin on his face; like he had caught the proverbial cat with the canary.

"Kurama's got a girlfriend," the boy said, loudly, "wait until Urameshi hears 'bout this! He owes me $20 bucks! He thought you had a thing for the shrimp!"

"Lower your voice," the woman said, giving her brother a hard slap upside his head. "You're in a library."

Kagome blinked... who were these in the world? And people thought SHE was odd?

She glanced at Shuichi; who suddenly looked like he had eaten something foul.

"Friends of yours, Shuichi?" She asked, arching one brow, "or should I say… 'Kurama'?"

Kurama could feel his eye beginning to twitch. Of all the people to run into he just HAD to run into the Kuwabara's. Shizuru wasn't so bad, least she was discrete. Her brother though...

He smiled apologetically to Kagome;

"My friends call me Kurama," he explained simply, then looking back at the siblings, "this is Shizuru Kuwabara, and this exceedingly LOUD individual next to her is her brother, Kazuma." He paused to glare at the younger Kuwabara. Small wonder no one told him Yukina was Hiei's sister...the bloody idiot couldn't keep a secret to save his soul.

"Shizuru, Kuwabara..." he said, "this is my lab partner, Kagome Higurashi..."

"Lab partner, huh..." Shizuru said, a note of disbelief in her tone. Behind her, her brother snickered.

Obviously these two were close friends judging by the long suffering look on Shuichi's face.

"Yes," she said smiling sweetly, "lab partner. I'm not crazy enough to be his girlfriend. I get enough grief being his lab partner. So I'm sorry, Kazuma, but it appears you didn't win your bet... I don't know who this Shrimp is you're talking 'bout but they must be pretty slick of they can escape the horde of fan girls."

Kazuma laughed, "Those girls wouldn't be able to track Hiei even if they wanted. You can't find him unless he wants to be found."

"He, huh?" Kagome said, then glanced at Shuichi, "that would certainly explain why you don't have a girlfriend then...despite the constant bombardment of options..."

Kurama flushed at the sly look Kagome sent his way; emerald eyes turned to skewer Kuwabara with a glare.

Shizuru regarded the dark haired girl quietly as her brother dug himself a deeper hole. It was only a matter of time before the fox put him in his place. The girl had leaned back in her chair; watching the two boys with an air of someone who had endless patience. Her eyes; a warm chocolaty brown, where sharp and intelligent, like Kurama's were, though lacking the malichiousness that sometimes bled into the red-heads eyes.

The fox was going to have problems with her. Flowery words wouldn't fool her like the others. This girl... she had been through some stuff. She was...different. The older sibling couldn't quite put her finger on it... but this girl was different. Her energy felt different... it wasn't like any of the guys'. It was human...but... odd... like the difference between pure mountain spring water and regular lake water.

"So what are y'all doing this evening?" Shizuru asked, innocently; "library's bout to close by the way."

"Really?" The girl said snatching up her phone to check the time, "hell and damnation, I'm gonna be late! Again!"

"Late?"

"My evening class... I can't believe I wasn't paying..."

Suddenly Kagome's phone rang; she glanced at the number and excused herself from the group.

"Sensei…" she greeted hurrily, "I'm on my way…"

"Take your time kid," Maxwell's voice said mischievously, "I'm taking over your class today. 'Fei and I talked; you've been working too hard and need a day off to relax."

"Um…Ok…" she said, feeling her shoulders slump in disappointment; "You sure?"

"Yup," the American said, "Go and enjoy the rest of your date…"

"It's NOT a…" the line went dead mid-protest. Kagome glared at the phone. What the hell was she supposed to do now?

She reluctantly walked back over to her lab partner and his friends.

"You ok?" Shizuru asked; Kagome nodded, plastering on her trademark smile.

"Yea…" she said, gathering her stuff together, "I'm good. My Sensei decided to give me the night off."

"Wonderful," the older woman said, "You can come have dinner and a movie with us."

"Huh?" Kagome said, surprised; than, "That's ok...really... I don't want to intrude..."

"Nonsense, being alone is a lousy way to spend a Friday night," the elder sibling stated with a bored look, looping her arm around one of Kagome's. "So, I'm sorry, but we're kidnaping you."

"But..." Kagome protested, glancing at her lab partner for help; Shuichi looked equally stunned.

"Shizuru..." he tried, "If Kagome doesn't want to…"

"Hush Red," she replied, her voice taking on a slight threatening tone, "Unless of course you're OBJECTING to Kagome's presence tonight?"

Kurama snapped his jaw shut with a click and glared at the smirking sibling. Objecting to Kagome's presence would be almost as bad as accepting it. For whatever reason the elder Kuwabara had decided that Kagome was going with them… and from past experience he knew that arguing with her was an effort in futility.

Kagome chewed on her lip; torn between jerking her arm from the other girls grip and just accepting the invitation as it was. She didn't want or need the charity. She knew good and well that to most people her life was very lonely. Hell, she WAS lonely; but she refused to accept anyone's pity.

"Don't scowl," the other girl stated quietly, patting her hand, "It's unbecoming. Besides, you're the first girl outside of Keiko and me that Red had been able to be around for five seconds without being hit on or molested. You have me intrigued…"

Kagome rolled her eyes; wonderful, she was a curiosity. That was soooo much better than pity.

She heaved a long suffering sigh and resigned herself to walking with Shuichi and his very…odd… friends. That was saying something too; since HER friends had been a demon slayer, a monk, a half-breed demon, and a kitsune kit….

They stopped at a pizza place where Shizuru went inside to order food. The restaurant was packed with people milling around, talking and laughing; it appeared to be a local hangout spot. She felt out of place; here she was standing with two guys she barely knew, amidst a sea of strangers… What the hell was she doing? These weren't her friends. Shizuru had already stated that she was a curiosity that the older woman wanted to figure out. A wave of homesickness washed over her suddenly; not for her family here in the modern era, but rather for those long lost to time.

Why was she still standing there; waiting to be dragged to Shuichi's friends place for a movie? It might have been different if Shuichi had been the one to ask her to join them; but he hadn't. His friend had. No... this was ridiculous. She would just go home, have a nice long soak, and work on her book some more...

Kurama leaned against her restaurant window, partially hidden by Kuwabara's broad frame. He watched as Kagome's eyes shifted from side to side; watching the people around her. She was growing more and more agitated the longer she stood there; a couple times her gaze flicked past him and into the store… almost like she was watching Shizuru and trying to decide if the consequences of bolting would be worth angering the older woman. She glanced at her phone, for the fifth time, and finally seemed to come to a decision.

"I'm gonna go," she told him, while Kuwabara was busy arguing with another group; "I'll see you at class on Monday…do you want to type of the paper or do you want me to?"

"I'll do it...You don't have to," Kurama said, then realizing what he HAD said, wanted to bite his tongue.

"Yea… I do…" Kagome replied, "I appreciate the offer…but…I'm not…"

As she spoke Kurama's eyes slide past her to the dark haired youth sneaking up behind her. Mischievous mocha eyes winked at him and, seeing he was spotted, a finger placed across his lips in a silent bid for him to keep quiet.

Kurama blinked; he hadn't realized that Yusuke knew Kagome…

Kagome tensed as she felt someone move up behind her; strange energy clashed against her own. She held still; she could see Shuichi's gaze move past her…. Yet he didn't say anything…

"Wow these pants make your butt look great," a voice stated even as she felt someone poke her on the right cheek. Kagome's already worn patience snapped. She lashed out, pivoting and swinging her arm to knock whoever it was away.

Her wrist was caught before it made contact; mocha eyes widened in shock even as her own furious chocolate orbs narrowed.

Kurama starred in wide eyed shock as Kagome whirled on Yusuke intent on taking his head clear from his shoulders. That in and of itself wasn't unusual; Keiko was constantly beating Yusuke over the head. No, when Yusuke caught Kagome's arm for a split moment her eyes seemed to glow in fury. Then…

Yusuke stumbled back as the girl's fist connected with his jaw. If he had been human still, he was sure the blow would have dislocated it. As it was, the mark burned like he had just been splashed with hot oil.

"Son of a bitch," he growled, turning to glare at the girl, his energy rising to the precieved threat.

"Fucking pervert," she snarled, stalking towards him, "You chose the wrong girl to touch…"

"Whoa…" he said shoving down the instinctual urgings of his demon-self and leapt backward as she lunged for him again, "Hold up babe, I thought you was someone else, 'kay? I'm sorry…"

"I ain't your 'babe'," she spat; by this time they had attracted enough of a crowd that Shizuru had come out of the restaurant.

"What the hell is going on?" she demanded stepping between the two, glaring between Yusuke and Kagome. Neither spoke as Kagome tried to side step Shizuru to reach the pervert.

"Kagome? Yusuke?" the older Kwuabara snapped, her own temper rising. Kagome paused,

"You know this idiot?" She asked. Shizuru nodded,

"Yea, he's my brother's best friend…."

"Good, then you can inform his family of his impending funeral…" Kagome growled. Kurama watched with an amused smirk on his face; it wasn't often that he got to watch someone chase Yusuke around like a scared puppy.

"Been there, done that," Shizuru muttered, "Twice actually...save your energy, death won't let him die. I think the idoit has a thing for him…"

Kagome snorted, and stomped over to pick up her bag from where she had dropped it.

"I'll see you around Shuichi," she stated, "It was nice meeting you Shizuru…Kazuma… Have a good night."

"Wait…Kagome…" Kwuabara called; but it was too late. For a girl who had looked so uneasy in the crowd, she was certainly able to utilize it to her advantage.

"Dammit Yusuke," Shizuru said, "What the hell did you do?"

"I…well…" Yusuke scratched the back of his head…

"Yea… you went and pissed off Kurama's girlfriend…" Kuwabara said, "What the hell man?"

"Kur…ama's…. girl…friend…" The ex-spirit detective's eyes grew wide and he swallowed hard. "Shit… I'm sorry man… I really didn't mean anything by that… from the back I thought it was Keiko… I really didn't… I mean…"

"Calm down, Yusuke," Kurama said, deciding to take pity on the idiot. "Despite what Kuwabara says; Kagome is NOT my girlfriend. She's my lab partner for biology. "

"Oh... then I don't feel so bad about chasing off a fan girl then…" Yusuke stated, breathing a sigh of relief. Shizuru smacked him upside his head.

"She wasn't a fan girl you idiot," she snapped. Yusuke stumbled,

"Huh? But… he said she was…"

"No he SAID Kagome was his lab partner;" she corrected, "She didn't follow us. I INVITED HER."

"Hell Shizuru," he swore, "Why did you do that for?"

"Yes," Kurama agreed, "Why did you insist Kagome come with us? It's clear she didn't want to."

"Because she's lonely, duh," Kwuabara muttered around the stack of pizza boxes he had picked up. "She hides it behind that smile and good cheer... but underneath all that she's lonely and depressed..."

"How…insightful, Kwuabara," Kurama said, the taller man's face split into a huge grin;

"Thank you…"

"Little bro is right," Shizuru said, "She's lonely. She's different from the others, Kurama; even you have to admit that."

Kurama remained silent; he didn't want to give the two siblings any excuse to meddle further in his life. Unfortunately, he had to agree with them. Kagome was not like the others girls that followed him around. In fact, now that he thought about it, Kagome didn't acknowledge him outside of class. She barely spoke to him IN class. While most women made every effort to be his partner in class; Kagome had acted like it was a death sentence. Then tonight… though she had insisted on meeting to do the research paper… she had bolted as soon as she had a chance. She hadn't been able to get away fast enough from him.

Kurama paused at that thought; did he really want her to stay? Really? He snorted; of course not. He was just as glad as she was when they had parted company…

Still… did she have to leave so quickly? She was looking for an escape route long before Yusuke had provided her one. Her manners had been the only thing preventing her from being rude to Shizuru and walking off.

Was he really so horrible that the only sane girl on the entire campus wanted NOTHING to do with him?

He shook his head, annoyed with himself. He didn't WANT her to want to have anything to do with him; he reminded himself. He didn't want or need a companion. He could have his pick of both women and men on campus; hell he could have his pick within demon world too… he was fine where he was. He CHOSE to be alone. He didn't NEED anyone…

Kagome stormed away from Shuichi and his friends; she wasn't certain whether she was more furious or terrified. On one hand, that fool ass bastard had completely violated her space and poked at her rump like it was odd and fascinating specimen… Talk about embarrassing. Then…the fucktard had the gall to CATCH her arm when she tried knocking him away… That sheer act alone would have shot her into a whole new realm of pissed off… but when his hand touched hers… demonic energy had sizzled up her arm. She had reacted naturally and had called her own energy into her fist as she punched him. Her anger had been riding her hard than as the only thing on her mind, at the time, was stomping a mud hole where his body should have been.

Now, with the incident past; her temper cooled and her fear rose… when she had punched the boy it had left a burn mark on the guys cheek. If he had indeed been human; then her energy shouldn't have done jack-diddly-squat to him; it should have just passed through him without harm, perhaps purifying him of negativity. Definatly she NOT have burned him.

He hadn't felt like a full demon; now that she thought about it. Then again; a full demon would have been able to tell she was a miko then second she had called her power...

"Calm down," she told herself as she forced her walk to slow, "He didn't leap up and try to kill you… so there's a really good chance that he doesn't know what you are… which means he's probably a half-blood. Or maybe he's just got a bit of demon blood. Nothing to worry about…. So calm down… breath… "

Still… when she had first met Shuichi, she had seen the image of the silver haired demon overlaying his human form. She had rationalized that Shuichi had demon blood too… What were the odds that two young men, friends no less, both had demon blood? And both were unaware of their otherworldly blood?

She snorted at herself. If you add in the fact that BOTH the Kuwabara siblings had a strong spiritual awareness… there was no way it was simple coincidence. What was the saying? Once was an accident, twice a coincidence, three times a conspiracy? Plus his nickname... 'Kurama'... where had she heard that name before? It was right there... just out of reach... Something her grandfather had told her...

"Damn…" she muttered shaking her head, as she unlocked her apartment door and walked in. As if matters with her lab partner weren't already complicated as all get out. Now she would have to be extra careful around the red head; it wouldn't do for her to advertise her abilities on the off chance that he WAS a demon in disguise.

She flopped down onto her bed with a groan; "Why me…?"

**A/N: If this chapter seems a little forced... it is because...well it was. I'm not really sure where I'm going with it quite yet, so it's been a little difficult to write. I'm not overly happy with this chapter, but I've poked and proded it enough. So, I hope you enjoy it.**


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own either IY or YYH

A/N: Thank you for all your wonderful reviews!

Lies By Omission

Chapter 4

She didn't move as a guard stalked past her; just as every single brute she had happened upon within this castle had done, this one stopped, nose lifting to scent the air as beady eyes searched for an intruder he smelled but couldn't see. Each of the guards had sensed her in some form she knew. As an apparition of death she could move through the three worlds unseen, but her presence was always detected in some way.

It took a full ten minutes before this demon moved on; undoubtedly to report what he had sensed. Still, she had time. As long as they couldn't see her; she had time.

Why her boss had decided SHE needed to do this task instead of one of the boys...she didn't understand. She wasn't a thief in the slightest. Yet...here she was... sneaking through another lords castle; intending to steal an ancient artifact that really should just remain where it was. It had rested peacefully in this Lord's care for the last five hundred years; why should they disturb it now?

She waited until the guard had disappeared around the corner before she moved. She was close now. She slide silently into the room; she felt the tingle of holy power as she crossed the threshold. Now she understood why she was there instead of one of the others... the entire room was wrapped in a barrier specifically designed to keep out demons.

The lord of this manor obviously went to great lengths to secure his treasures from thieving demons.

The room was dark; lite only by a few small torches. Shadows crept along the walls and malice filled the air. Not for the first time, she questioned her boss' intentions. What need did he have of such tainted artifact? Still... it wasn't her place to question. She had her orders.

The artifact sat peacefully upon a dais; its once pale pink surface was stained black with darkness. No larger than a cherry; the small stone radiated evil maliciousness. She could feel its power slither over her skin, leaving a disgusting dirty feeling in its wake. It whispered to her, promising to fulfill her deepest desires, her darkest wishes...

She didn't want to touch the gem. Countless humans and demons had sought this one item; believing it would grant them ultimate power... yet, she couldn't bear to touch it. She had touched evil once; when she had been given the Netherworld sphere to hold...she could still feel the dark oily residue branded into her soul. Now...she was required to do it again?

"Don't do it," a voice said behind her; startling her out of her thoughts. She whirled to stare at the newcomer; how long had he been there? More appropriately; how long had she been staring at that blasted gem, lost in thought?

"It's not worth it," the soft baritone stated as the speaker moved into the dim ring of light. She felt her jaw drop slightly. She knew demons were good looking by nature; she had met countless handsome men in her lifetime… Yet there was something about this individual that left her breathless.

Tall and lithe; he stalked toward her, confidence oozing from every pore. Copper hair tumble around his face and shoulders in a haphazard mess; it gave him an 'I just tumbled out of bed' look that was beyond sexy. Brilliant forest green eyes glowed in the gloom of the room.

He wore human clothing; a simple black t-shirt and form fitting jeans that hugged his legs and left her with a sudden desire to see his behind...er...from behind... Lordy... the man was fine. Had he been poured into those jeans?

She wrenched her thoughts out of the gutter and back on the job at hand. He had gotten closer while her mind had been slumming. She scrambled back a couple steps; trying to put more distance between them. In her haste she bumped the dais; the gem rocked on its pedestal.

"Careful!" He hissed, "It's been shatter once already, I really don't want to worry 'bout trying to piece it back together again! It was enough of a pain in the ass the first time!"

She glanced back at the blackened pearl. She needed to grab the stupid thing and vanish. She couldn't believe she had been foolish enough to allow herself to materialize fully Still... she loathed to touch the damnable thing.

The Nether World power sphere had nearly killed her. What would possessing this trinket do to her?

Damn Koenma. Damn his orders. And damn her for following them...

Without another word she snatched the jewel from its resting place. Instantly the power slithered up her arm; reaching, searching, prying...trying to get a grip on her. She didn't bother trying to disappear; all her concentration was now on blocking the evil trying to seep into her soul.

"No!" The man snarled; lunging at her. She leapt back, calling her oar and leaping into the air. With a vicious snarl the demon followed her up as he leapt back and forth trying to knock her from the sky.

She burst through the roof of the structure; soaring high into the air. A bellow of rage echoed from below her and she knew... that would not be the last time she saw that demon.

She didn't have long before the Lord would hear of the theft and sent out reinforcements. She needed to return to Reiki ASAP to get rid of this gem...

Shippo snarled as he leapt to the floor, landing lightly despite the height. How could he have been so foolish? He should have just tackled her when he first saw her instead of announcing himself.

Yet, she had worn such a pained expression; he had hoped to be able to talk her out of her foolishness. A pretty, innocent thing like her shouldn't be anywhere near the taint of the jewel.

That was another thing that had given him pause; goodness radiated off her in waves. Most that came for the jewel were cruel and corrupt; they longed for power and the jewel called to them from the darkness like a siren's song. It was why they had the room warded against demons and evil in general. Only specific individuals, like him, had the means to cross the threshold. Which made him wonder... what the hell was she?

The guards had all reported sensing something on their patrols. One even said he had scented death on the wind... was that what she was? Death? That didn't make sense though. Why would Death want the jewel? Furthermore, he was hard pressed to believe that death was an adorable looking woman with blue hair and pink eyes…

His phone buzzed; he picked it up.

"Status." The cool voice demanded his voice devoid of emotion. After five hundred years... he had long ago gotten use to the briskness of his surrogate uncle's voice.

"We have a situation," he stated, "The jewel had been stolen. I'm gathering the Wolves as we speak to retrieve it"

"Very well," the stoic Inu-lord stated. "Do not fail me again,"

"Understood," Shippo said, pocketing the phone. It took a few moments to reach his best friend and partner in crime; though centuries older than him, the wolf prince had become a dear friend as he had grown.

After the final battle with Naraku; the Wolf clan had needed a safe place to rebuild their numbers. Before InuYasha had sought his own death at the hands of the undead priestess; he had relinquished possession of the jewel, and guardianship of it, to his elder brother...who never had need for the jewels power. Now, having surpassed the power of even his father; Sesshomaru was Lord of the Western Lands in truth as well as in title. He had no desire for the false power the jewel promised.

As such, he was able to carry the jewel for a time without succumbing to the normal madness of possessing the tainted bauble. Sesshomaru had a shrine created for the jewel; a resting place deep within the Western Lands. There he offered the wolves a new lease on life. Serve him in exchange for the safety his lands provided; free of the Birds of Paradise that plagued their tribes.

Kouga, despite what InuYasha thought, was not a stupid demon. He knew that with the decimation of his tribe at the hands of Kagura, and the wars with other demon tribes…the Wolf's were facing extinction. So he had agreed; forming an alliance with Sesshomaru to assist him in guarding the jewel and his lands. Finally consummating his vows to the Princess Ayame; the Wolf tribes flourished in the protected lands of the West. Now, they were a force to be reckoned with once more; Sesshomaru's personal guards and hunters. Anyone attempting to get to the castle stronghold had to move through the Wolf tribe village; they were veracious in protecting what was theirs.

"Wolf, get your furry ass out here!" Shippo bellowed as he rounded the corner and the largest of the caves came into view. From deep with the caverns darkness he heard a growl.

"Kid, so help me..." the elder wolf snarled," this had better be good...do you have any idea what I was in the middle of? "

The scent of sex still clung to his friend, combined with his nakedness; made it very apparent what Shippo had interrupted.

"The jewel has been stolen," he stated, hoping to distract his friend; wolves could be so testy…

Midnight blue eyes snapped up to meet his.

"When?" He demanded, securing his furs back around his waist.

"Less than twenty minutes ago." Shippo replied.

"Good the trail is still fresh..."

"The thief is flying," Shippo stated, "Heading due south…"

Piercing blue eyes narrowed and a vicious smile curled his lips; "A challenge then..."

Shippo laughed at the gleam in the wolf's blue eyes. It had been a long time since anyone had truly come against Sesshomaru. They both were in desperate need of a little excitement.

Shippo led his old friend back to the Jewel's shrine. There, Kouga would be able to get the scent of the thief. Once he locked in on her scent... he'd never relinquish it.

Kouga knelt by the dais the jewel had stood on; breathing deeply he sorted through the scents he recognized...the scent of malice and hate...the slight taint of miasma left over from Naraku's possession of the jewel. The artifact had been in his possession so long the evil hanyo had left a permanent stink on it.

The scent of earth, of autumn leaves and sweet hay... Shippo.

Faint traces of dog and lightning the sharp tang of poison... Sesshomaru.

Finally... intermingled with the Shippo's scent was one of frost and lilacs.

"Frost and lilac..." Shippo repeated; he hadn't really been paying attention to her scent when he had confronted the little minx. "Yea, that sounds about right. She did have a floral scent..."

"She, huh?" Kouga said, giving him a knowing look and a lecherous smile. "Attractive?"

Shippo thought about the pretty little blue haired thief; and felt a small blush rise to his cheeks. Attractive? With that long blue hair and large innocent pink eyes...all that pale porcelain skin wrapped in a silk kimono and tied off with a bow... No...'Attractive' simply didn't begin to describe the thief. She was a conundrum wrapped in an enigma. Beautiful...innocent...delicate...

"Your silence says it all," Kouga laughed.

"Shut up wolf," Shippo growled," It's nothing like that..."

"Sure it's not, fox" the wolf laughed; eyes dancing with mirth. "I've got the scent. Let's go...Perhaps when we catch her we can bring her back to the castle and you can…show her the error of her ways…."

"Lecherous lupine…" Shippo growled.

Once outside Kouga stopped; tilting his head into the wind taking in the scents swirling around their mountain home.

Blue eyes snapped open, bright and intense;

"Got her," he muttered than, much like the baying of the hounds of the Wild Hunt; Kouga flung his head back and howled. The eerie mournful sound echoed across the countryside, raising the hairs along the inhabitant's necks and arms as everyone hurried into their houses. His voice was joined by a chorus of others as the pack picked up the call to hunt.

Miles away, flying hell bent toward the lands borders; a certain blue haired reaper paused as an eerie sound reached her ears. She felt her eyes widen and she turned to look behind her. Even miles away she could see the whirlwind moving her direction.

It couldn't be... even as far off as they were; there was no mistaking the howls that were following her. That damnable-sexy-as-hell-guard had called out the Wolves. The Wolves were vicious hunters employed by the reclusive Lord of the Western Lands. Surly Koenma hadn't sent her to THAT Lord's castle?! She felt her heart plummet; how could she have been so stupid to blindly follow Koenma's orders. Hadn't she seen enough of his carelessness when dealing with Yusuke and the team... And now; his dumbass had sent her to steal from the Lord of the West?! He had just signed her death warrant...No one escaped the Wolves of the West.

She wrenched her oar around and shot off; changing direction. She couldn't lead them straight to Koenma...despite wanting to box the child-ruler's ears; leading the Wolves back to him would start a war Reiki couldn't hope to win. The wolves wouldn't care that she had taken shelter with him, no barrier would stop them...they would hunt her straight into Lord Koenma's office...and when they found him in possession of their artifact... they would kill him too...

Against her breast; the jewel pulsed with malicious glee, drinking in her fear. _Use me..._it whispered, _take my power and we can destroy the wolves who hunt you..._

She shook her head; putting on another burst of speed as she sped toward the Human realm. She needed to find Yusuke... If anyone could help her survive they could...

Kagome sat quietly; a book open in front of her, giving the impression she was reading. Honestly, though her eyes roamed over the words, even read them...her mind did not comprehend them. It was a good thing that the book was simply pleasure reading rather than homework, because she couldn't have told anyone what the last four pages had been about should someone ask her.

Instead her mind was on the conversation going one behind her within the library shelves; ordinarily she wouldn't eavesdrop but... she was curious...

"Dude...she's a fox..." Kazuma stated.

"No, she's not..." was the dry reply, "she's human."

Interesting the need to specific race there... was he being sarcastic or...?

"Of course she's human, you idiot," Shizuru replied with an annoyed sniff. "That's not what he meant and you know it. Stop being dense."

A heavy sigh. "Why are you too pushing this so hard?" Shuichi asked tiredly. "She's just my lab partner..."

Twin exasperated sighs escaped the siblings. Ever since the faithful study session at this very library a few weeks ago; the siblings had taken it upon themselves to try to bring Kagome into their group. Though the red-head didn't complain; she also knew he wasn't fond of the idea. Why she wasn't sure, but she couldn't say much; she resisted the sibling's efforts as well. It seemed the two siblings had gotten it into their heads that Shuichi and she would make an adorable couple.

It was pure coincidence that Kagome had run into them again that day. She had just wanted to get a new book; something to help with her own writing...to give her some inspiration... Plus she had wanted to get out of her apartment and she loved the quiet solitude the library provided. So she found a nice secluded corner and sat down for a little reading... next thing she knew... She had company.

How very irritating. She truly loathed when people interrupted her while her nose was in a book. Shuichi wouldn't have been so bad, since he was quiet and reserved by nature and thus, seemed to appreciate silence. Kazuma... not so much.

"Are you blind?" Kazuma asked at the same time his sister asked,

"You're gay aren't you...?"

Kagome nearly choked at that. She pressed her face into her novel in an attempt to stifle her giggles at the sputtering she heard behind her.

"Jeez, sis!" Kazuma said, "you can't just blurt it out like that!"

"It's an honest question," Shizuru said. "And it's the only logical explanation why he's not into Kagome. She's sweet, quiet, pretty and his intellectual equal. Why else wouldn't he like her?"

"I never said I disliked her," Shuichi stated. "Kagome is a very sweet woman and very smart. I enjoy having her as my lab partner. But I'm simply not looking for a mate of any kind right now and I refuse to get caught up playing around with a human woman; that sort of idiocy was partially the cause of my current predicament. If I had been paying attention to my surroundings instead of my bed mate that hunter would never have wounded me...and I never would have had to escape into the human realm and inhabit this body..."

Kagome felt a chill go up her spine at those softly spoken words. Inhabit this body? Human realm?

"All I want to do is accumulate my power structure here, in this realm, so that when I finally decide to return to the Makai; I'll still have my base of operations here in the Human World. Furthermore...look how many times Keiko has been kidnapped or used against Yusuke... do you honestly want me to bring another defenseless HUMAN woman into the mix?"

Kagome's mind raced; what was the Makai? Why such emphasis on human; as if he was another species all together.

"So you DO like her…" Kazuma nearly shouted in triumph. Kagome winced at the volumne of his voice and shook her head as she heard several loud thumps indicating that one or more books had suddenly come into contact with Kazuma's head.

The conversation moved on by then; until Kagome could no longer eavesdrop. It appeared that things were a lot more complicated with this group then she thought. She hadn't seen Yusuke since the fool had copped a feel... but the more she had thought about the encounter; the more certain she was that Yusuke had demon blood running through his veins. If what she had just heard was correct; a human Keiko had been used against him many times... but against him for what? Had someone used her as a hostage? Or a shield against his anger like the demons of the past sometimes used her against InuYasha?

And if Yusuke was demon...then the rest of the group knew about it. Shizuru and Kazuma were both human...though apparently gifted. Shuichi...he was an unknown. She sensed demon within him at times... yet he was human. It was an puzzle that often occupied her thoughts; but with this little tidbit of information… was it possible that Shuichi was really possessed by a demon? She had seen it happen before. It would certainly explain his odd, exotic coloring. She knew that demon possession often changed the physical appearance of the victim in some way; especially if it was a prolonged possession...

Then there was the additional unknown that this 'Hiei', Kazuma mentioned. She hadn't met this man, this 'Hiei' yet; if he even was a man… somehow she suspected that if Yusuke was part demon and Shuichi was possessed by a demon… what were the odds that this 'Hiei" character would be human?

She absently tapped her nails against the table; her book lay forgotten in her hand. She allowed her mind to sort through what she knew of Shuichi and his friends… unfortunately it was hard to judge a group's dynamics when she rarely saw them all together…

"We need to go," Shizuru said suddenly, as the trio came back into listening range. "Now."

Kagome perked up at the urgency in the older woman's tone.

"Huh? Why?" Kazuma asked; clearly puzzled.

"We need to get to the park..." she said, "Now..."

With that the three lit out of there like someone had set their tails on fire. Curiousity peeked; Kagome left her book on the table, shouldered her bag and quickly hurried after the trio. She pulled the hood up on her jacket to better camouflage her within the crowd and made sure to stay far enough behind them that should they turn around; she wouldn't immediately be spotted… but still close enough to keep an eye on them and see where they were going.

Kurama hurried after Shizuru; unsure why the woman suddenly wanted them in the park. However, the older Kuwabara was a powerful psychic and had proven on more than one occasion that her intuition was spot on; so he was willing to go on a little faith that where ever she was leading them, it was important.

They arrived in the park a few minutes later, Yusuke was just arriving as well; yet Shizuru didn't stop walking. Her eyes shifted back and forth; searching for something. She took them deeper into the forested area; away from the populated walk-ways.

"What's going on?" Yusuke asked. Kuwabara and Kurama shrugged and shook their heads; they were still in the dark as to the reason for this sudden trip.

"Here..." she muttered; the men looked around. Yhey were in a large field surrounded by trees. They could barely hear the sounds of the people in the main portion of the park. They were off the beaten path; secluded…and alone…

"There's nothing here, sis..." Kuwabara stated.

Suddenly a portal opened in front of them and a familiar figure flew through the rift; crashing down before them in a crumbled, mess.

"Boton!" Yusuke yelled, hurrying over to the collapsed figure. Her blue hair hung wild around her face and shoulders. She was dirty and scratched; her kimono torn. Her breath was ragged and shallow; blood oozed from numerous wounds.

"Yus...ke..." she whimpered,"Run…"

Yusuke looked up at them; eyes wide. He hadn't seen her look this beaten since the Netherworld had tried to destroy the Spirit world a few years back.

"What happened?" He asked her, her head rolled limply against his shoulder.

"Shouldn't...have...taken...it..." she said panting for breath; then grimaced in pain.

"Taken what?!" Yusuke demanded. Kurama looked the reaper over. Something just...didn't seem right about the woman.

"The Shikon no Tama..." a voice said from the darkening forest. Boton's eyes snapped open; unnaturally wide as she looked around frantically. The others tensed as they felt dozens of demons appear from a portal.

"What's the matter little thief," the stranger said, "Did you think that you would actually loose us by coming to the Human World? Or perhaps you believe that your allies will protect you?"

Boton whimpered as the stranger stepped out of the shadows; she tried to scramble away, eyes wide in terror. Kurama felt his own eyes widen... the demon stood over six feet tall, coppery hair fell around his face and shoulders; hiding delicate pointed ears. Bright mischievous forest green eyes glinted behind the auburn locks. A reddish-copper furred tail, tipped in white, swished calmly behind him.

A kitsune. Kurama couldn't believe it. It had been ages since he had seen another of his kind. Yet, here one was… alive and, judging from his energy, powerful.

Forest green eyes surveyed the group; he wasn't surprised to find that the thief had found reinforcements. Both Kouga and he had suspected that she would have support once she crossed the barrier. Still… what an interesting group of allies; two humans, a mixed blooded-demon, and a…. Shippo regarded the red-haired man silently for a moment. What the hell was he? His eyes told him human, his senses said demon… yet his nose said fox… Then there was another scent on the wind; so familiar… it tickled his mind, yet he couldn't grasp it….

He shoved the puzzle away from his thoughts and focused back on the thief and her allies. The dark-haired mix blood stood; his energy leapt and snapped around him like a furious storm. The leader of this rag-tag group...

"Stand aside," the kitsune said, "This matter is none of your concern, the woman must face Western Land justice and the artifact she stole needs to be returned."

"Bullshit," Yusuke snapped, "You must be some kind of stupid if you believe I'm just going to stand aside and allow you to take Boton!"

Shippo sighed, he had tried… "I was being polite and giving you a chance...but...So be it..."

Suddenly the forest was filled with the growls and yips of excited canines. From the shadows behind the kitsune; a massive black wolf stalked forward; its head was even in height to the kitsunes'. It's electric blue eyes glow with a ferocious hungry light. A long pink tongue flicked out; licking it's lips and gleaming teeth.

"You know what needs to be done…" Shippo said, glancing down into one of Kouga's eletric blue eyes, "Retrieve the stone first, woman second."

There was no other warning; the kitsune's words had barelyleft his lips before the wolves were upon them. The black wolf was by far the largest; but all were massive by canine standards. Snarling and snapping they overwhelmed the three Reiki detectives instantly. Kurama leapt backward as ivory jaws snapped inches away from his face. He reached back, drawing his rose from his hair and lashed out; the wolf fell with a pained yip.

Beside him Kuwabara slashed at the demonic wolves; his clothes already spotted with blood. Yusuke fared little better; he caught one wolf by the jaws only to have another hit him from behind. Kurama watched as Yusuke was knocked from his feet and engulfed in a sea of furred bodies.

Suddenly a black blur zipped through the wolves; pain filled howls left in its wake. Yusuke regained his feet with a burst of power; flinging wolves in all directions. A flash of silver; and the wolf Kurama was struggling against fell away. Kurama glanced briefly at his friend and partner.

"Perfect timing," he muttered.

"Hn." Hiei replied, then "Move!"

Kurama didn't hesitate; he leapt to the side at Hiei's shout. Expecting a wolf...he was confused to see Boton collapse to the ground where he had been.

"What the hell?" He growled, "Boton!"

The reaper got to her feet; her movements jerky. She turned... her normal pale pink eyes were solid black. She smiled; a cruel twist of her lips.

"What's the matter?" She said in the voice not her own. Suddenly the clearing grew silent, the wolves backed away snarling. Boton laughed; a deep evil sound.

"Did you really think you defeated me?" She laughed, turning to glare at the kitsune and his wolves "fools..."

"Naraku..." the kitsune snarled, his voice heavily laden with disbelief. Terror paraylized him for a moment as long buried memories resurfaced with nightmarish glee. Then he shook his head and glared back; he was no longer a young kit to be frightened and bullied. Naraku was dead; Sesshomaru, InuYasha and his adoptive mother had made sure of it; there had been nothing but ash left of the evil hanyo when they were finished with him. "You're just a shade...another victim of the cursed jewel...you have no power."

"What's going on?" Yusuke demanded, coming up beside Boton and grabbing her by the shoulder, "Boton?"

Yusuke fell back with a cry of pain; his hand smoldering and blackened from miasma. The ex-detective let out a string of curses as he turned furious dark eyes to glare at his long-time friend and assistant.

"Your friend is no more...I've consumed her…" Naraku stated smiling; "a fate you all will suffer…"

"Don't listen to him," the kitsune snarled, "He's just a shade… a mere shadow of what once was. You're friend has been possessed by the jewel. Get it away from her...and she should live."

"You think so?" The voice in Boton asked; black eyes turning to regard Yusuke, "Do you dare trust him? He was planning on killing her..." then those eyes turned to focus on the kitsune; the shade ran its hands over Boton's body. "Such a weak form...but pure... reminds me of certain priestess...she was delectable..."

"Yea and she kicked your ass too..." the kitsune snapped; the blue eyed wolf by his side huffed in agreement; his hackles raise, fur glistening with dark blood.

Naraku's evil disembodied laughed poured from Boton's lips.

"And where is your savior?" Naraku demanded, "for that matter where is that wreched half-breed InuYasha?"

Silence.

More laugher. "How do you expect to defeat me now without the hanyo and his bitch?"

Suddenly a black blur zipped past, there was a flash of silver...and the black bled from Boton's eyes. Hiei sheathed his sword as Boton collapsed into an exhausted heap onto the ground.

Everyone's gaze watched as the blackened gem bounced once…twice… then rolled across the blood stained grass. They held their collective breathes as the cursed marble rolled to a stop in front of a pair of brown boots. Gazes moved from the boots to travel up jean clad legs, to a black hooded figure. The source of the familar scent Shippo had detective earlier... a scent so familar... it made his heart ache.

The figure slowly pushed the hood from their face; dark chocolate eyes stared down at the jewel at her feet with a mixture of dread and trepidation. For the last three years she had wondered about the fate of the jewel; she had always believed that InuYasha had taken the wretched thing to Hell with him. Yet, there it sat… it's once pale iridescence blackened by five hundred years of taint.

Her gaze rose to meet the other's; meeting each in turn, to finally settle on two… forest green and electric midnight blue. Tears threatened to choke her as she looked upon two individuals she never thought to see again. She wanted nothing more than to run over and launch herself into her little kit's arms; to bury her face in Kouga's thick fur and breathe in the scents of her dearest friends…to bask in their familar auras.

"Kagome?" Kurama stepped forward; his heart suddenly doing an upbeat tempo at the sight of his lab partner in the midst of so much carnage. Wounded wolves were scattered everywhere; their blood coated the ground…. Yet Kagome stood, serene and calm amidst the bloodshed; a small smile curling her cupid bow lips as she regarded the two rogue demons.

Her gaze flicked to him when he called her name; her smile grew, if possible, turning more devious and condensending.

"Well," she said, "this certain explains a few things. Is your friend alright?"

Though, she watched Kurama; the question was aimed at Shizuru, who knelt next to the fallen form of Boton, cradling the other woman's head in her lap. The older woman nodded;

"I think so," she said, "She's still breathing at least."

"Then she's lucky. The idiot," Kagome snapped. "No good can ever come from the jewel. No one but a priestess can touch the jewel without feeling its effects."

"What do you know of it woman?" Hiei said. Dark eyes regarded the short demon; so this was the illusive 'Hiei' she assumed... Kagome could sense his power from where she stood. Darkness filled him, it was concentrated around his arm and forehead... She shook her head; allowing any of these fools near the jewel would be suicide.

Reluctant, but resigned; Kagome reached down to pick up the tainted jewel.

"NO!"

"Don't!"

She ignored their shouts of protest; and even felt something rebound off of her personal barrier. The instant she touched the jewel; she could feel it's evil. Centuries had passed since the last time it suffered the purifying touch of a miko. The jewel hadn't been in her possession long enough, after the final battle, for her to completely purify Naraku's essence from the pearl. It was a fact that she would soon remedy. She had no desire to have a repeat of what just had occurred; she still had nightmares where Naraku was the featured star… she had no desire to ever hear his voice or feel his presence in the present time ever again.

Kurama watched in horror as Kagome reached down to pick up the jewel; ignoring the shouts of warning… hadn't she seen what touching that cursed thing had done? Hiei had leapt forward; intent on snatching the jewel from her fingers… yet, as he approached, something repelled him, knocking him backward and singeing his clothes.

Kurama didn't know what he expected when she touched the jewel; but for the jewel to glow and fade to an iridescent pink had not been it at all.

Kagome straightened; starring at the innocent looking marble in her palm. So much trouble over such a little thing; how she longed to be able to truly be rid of it. Yet, she had three years free of the cursed jewel; that was more than she deserved. After all; the jewel had come from her body… it was her responsibly to keep the wretched thing safe.

Dark eyes turned to regard Kurama solemnly; "This does not belong to your friend, or whoever she was intent upon delivering it too…" Kagome stated, "I'd advise you take your friends and leave, Kurama."

"Like hell," Yusuke snarled, "They're rogue demons… they don't belong in the Human Realm… plus they hurt Boton."

"Boton brought her injuries upon herself," Kagome snapped, "She took something that didn't belong to her. Shippo and Kouga will return to their home once this incident has been dealt with properly… correct?"

There was a sharp nod from the kitsune. "We were after the jewel," he said, surprising Kurama with the way both he and the wolf seemed to respect his lab partner. "We've been its guardians in your stead,…Since this incident had led us to find you, I'm willing to…overlook the slight against us…and say… loose the thief's trail? How does that sound..?" This last question was directed to the massive wolf by his side. The canine snorted; in disappointment... he had hungered for human...

"Yu…s…ke…" Boton whispered, her voice carrying in the sudden silence. Yusuke knelt next to her; his eyes never leaving his opponents.

"Koen…ma….ordered me t-to re...trieve the…jewel…" she whispered, Yusuke's eyes hardened. Boton had been charged with getting that jewel; he wasn't sure why the damn toddler needed such an artifact… but Boton had come here seeking help, just as she had last time. He would be damned if he failed her a second time…

Kagome sighed as she saw Yusuke's jaw clench in determination. He wasn't going to let this go. Whatever the blue-haired woman had said had sealed it. She glanced at Shippo; who nodded… he had seen the look too and understood it for what it was.

Before anyone could move, the kitsune clapped his hands loudly; drawing the attention of everyone present. His long silky tail rose behind him and fanned out, splitting into five; they swayed back in forth in a hypnotic rhythm. Kurama blinked as everything began to shift and spin. He could feel the kitsune's magic rolling across his skin; even as his own inner Youko tried to dispel the illusion. Damn the red fox and their illusions...

Behind him; Hiei growled as the magic slide along his skin. Blue flames leapt before them; shielding there enemy, even as monstrous demons lunged from the shadows behind them. Yusuke and Kuwabara turned to engage this new threat; even Kurama flinched from the demons, his human eyes unable to see past the illusion despite his natural resistance.

However, neither the Jagan nor the Dragon could be seduced by another's power. Hiei easily saw through the illusions and watched as the girl swung onto the larger demon wolf's back. The ease of the motion spoke of familiarity that should not have been possible... how could a human girl have become so familiar with a race of demons that have lived in the depths of Makai for centuries...never leaving unless absolutely necessarily.

Then there was the matter of the fact that the girl had been immune to the fox's illusions. Furthermore... what had she done to the jewel Boton had been carrying; one moment it had been dark with evil...then the malicious energy was gone.

He was intrigued...

As the girl and her allies disappeared through the portal, back into the Makai; Hiei followed, leaping through the portal at the last moment. He flitted from shadow to shadow; using the Jagan to hide his presence. He would follow these strangers and learn what he could from them...

Kurama fought against the illusion the kitsune had created. Still, even knowing the flames and the demons were figments of his imagination; it was still difficult to wrench his mind from the spells hold. Soon, the spell began to fade as his mind broke free; leaving an exhausted Kurama panting in its wake. All of the wolves were gone; even those who had been injured. Not even their blood remained...

Had they been nothing but an illusion as well?

He turned to see both Yusuke and Kuwabara still fighting; yet their blows merely clove through air.

"Yusuke! Kuwabara!" He called, "Stop! Your opponent isn't real! It's all in your mind!"

It took several more moments before the two could see through the spell.

"What the hell?" Yusuke demanded, "what happened?!"

Kurama moved over to them, cradling his side where a wolf had gotten in a lucky hit;

"We were caught in a powerful kitsune illusion." Kurama stated; absently noting his partners disappearance.

"Kitsune illusion?"

"Yes," he said, returning his focus to the conversation,"kitsune, particularly red kitsune, are renowned for their illusions and magic."

"If it was kitsune magic then why were you caught?" Kuwabara asked.

Kurama shrugged, "my power lies in plant life... not in illusion. Reds are the ones who were known for illusions and shape-shifting abilities. As easily as I can manipulate the energies of a plant; this kitsune can cast an illusion or change shape into whatever it chooses."

"Scary..." Yusuke muttered.

"Yes..." Kurama agreed, "The reds were said to have died out centuries ago. Two demon brothers nearly eradicated the entire line in their quest to utilize the red's magical abilities in their potions. It's amazing to see one alive...and makes me wonder..."

"Wonder what?" Yusuke said as he knelt to pick up Boton.

"Why Koenma had Boton break into a castle that was guarded by not only a rare red kitsune... but also the Wolves of the West."

"I've never seen a wolf demon like that before..." Yusuke stated; Kuwabara nodded in agreement.

"And you won't." Kurama stated simply; as they began their trek through the forest towards Genkai's temple. "Much like the kitsune; the Wolves are rare. I haven't seen one in centuries... war had all but wiped them out. Yet... there was a rumor that the wolves had joined forces with the ancient inu-youkai tribe. However inu-youkai are even rarer then Wolves. Still the ones that remain are incredibly powerful. It's rumored that the inu-daiyoukai that rules now is so powerful that none dare to try and take his land. When the demon lords divided the Makai... his lands, deep within the demon world, were left alone. He keeps to himself and the other lords stay off his land. It is believed that he commands a powerful army much like his father before him. After what I just saw... I believe the rumors are true..."

"Why? Because of the wolf? C'mon Kurama its probably just coincidence." Yusuke said.

Kurama shook his head. "No, the kitsune bore the crescent moon mark of the inu-youkai house on his armor; I haven't seen that mark in over four and a half centuries. Which begs to question... why on earth did Koenma send Boton after something that belongs to the inu-youkai? Both dogs and wolves are incredibly territorial. Taking something from them is practically declaring war; a war that Reiki can't possibly hope to win. If the ruling inu-daiyoukai is the demon I ran into centuries ago...then if he goes to battle, he will gather untold numbers...the entire Makai would follow him to war."

"Shiiiit," Yusuke breathed, as he placed Boton carefully on a cot at Genkai's temple. "Seriously? The man commands that much power?"

Kurama nodded, "I've only run into him once...and that was enough. I barely escaped that encounter with my life. It's not an experience I have any intention of repeating."

"If what you say is true," Genkai said as she came around the corner. "The Koenma might have damned us all."

They all regarded the still form of Boton; each lost in their own thoughts as the weight of Genkai's words settled upon them.

They needed to speak to Koenma and needed to do it soon.

**A/N: Stupid FFN... I had this all edited and ready to go...only to have the site suddenly kick me off when I went to save it. How irritating. So I hope I corrected everything and fixed it again. Though, of course there were parts I couldn't remember what I had added/changed. *sigh* Oh well. I hope you like the introduction of Shippo and Kouga. I can't tell you how many times I started on this chapter only to get a few sentences written then scrape it. Finally Boton and Shippo decided to demand attention... followed by Kouga. Totally wasn't expecting this to take the direction it did; but hey, I like it. So I hope ya'll do too. REVIEW! Let me know what you think!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own IY or YYH**

**A/N: OMG I can't believe the amount of reviews I got for that last chapter! Thank you so much!**

Lies By Omission

Chapter 5:

The wind whipped through her hair as they ran at a break-neck speed that InuYasha would never have been able to match. It seemed that the added centuries had given Kouga the power and speed that the jewel shards had granted him in the past; doubled.

It hadn't taken her long to 'remember' how to ride; years spent clutching Kilala's fur as she bound through the sky had taught her the find art of riding a creature besides a horse. However, Kouga's stride was different than Kilala's; especially since the fire-cat flew, so it took a moment to fall into a rhythm. Once she had; it was almost like she _WAS_ flying.

Gods above; how she had missed this… there was nothing quite as exhilarating as racing along at demon speed. Human engineering just couldn't compete.

She sank her fingers deep into Kouga's thick black fur; revelling at the silky texture and ignoring the matted blood. She leaned forward, practically lying along Kouga's spine; she buried her face in his fur, breathing in the scent of canine and summer storms.

Her eyes burned as tears choked her for a moment; her friends we _ALIVE_. They were alive and well…and she had _FOUND_ them. A joy she had locked away had blossomed into life at the sight of her two friends; despite the blood and violence... or perhaps because of it, she had been far to happy to care. Blood was a normal occurance when dealing with demons; as was violence.

She couldn't believe they were alive…. And _HERE_ with her! Who knew that by following Kurama and his friends that action would lead her back to her family?

She threw her head back and let out a whoop of pure unadulterated joy. She would have to remember to send Kurama and them a fruit basket as thanks… or maybe chocolate?

Shippo grinned at the sound of Kagome's joy. He was still stunned at finding her, right where they had least expected it. He would never have guessed that chasing a thief into the Human realm would have led him to the one person he had missed more than anything over the last few centuries.

Kagome may have only been with him for a short time, especially by demon standards, but her memory had never faded from his mind or heart. He had longed for her hugs and the soft warmth of her aura; she had been 'Mom' when he had needed one most.

Kouga cast him a wide fanged grin as he too let out a joyful howl; the sound was echoed by the rest of the pack as they raced toward their home.

Kagome could have stayed astride Kouga, running with the pack forever; but all too soon the sight of the Western Castle came into view. Kagome marveled at the structure that was built into the side of the mountain. It resembled a fortress stronghold rather than a castle.

The entire pack came to greet Kouga and the hunters upon their return. Kagome slide down her friend's side, her legs a bit stiff from the ride. No sooner had her feet touched the packed earth; then Kouga shimmered and returned to his human form. Strong tan arms immediately wrapped her in a bone-crushing hug that his wolf form hadn't been able to give her. She returned the hug the best she could with her arms pinned to her sides.

"KAGOME!" Two other voices chorused, before she was glomped from behind; laughing she instantly recognized the figures of Ginta and Hakkaku.

Shippo laughed as Kagome was mobbed by the wolves; even Ayame came to greet her old rival, though her greeting was far more reserved. After what seemed like ages the wolves cleared away and there was nothing between his mother and him except open air. The two stared at each other for several long moments; both unsure how to proceed.

Slowly Kagome walked up to the tall demon that bore the same striking forest green eyes her little kit had. Yet… Her little kit wasn't a kit anymore. He was a bona-fide full-grown demon now… fierce and strong; confident and powerful. How would he see her now? He had nearly five hundred years on her… he was old enough to be HER father a dozen times over…

"Look at you…" Kagome whispered, gently brushing a strand of coppery hair from his face. "You've changed so much."

Green eyes smiled at her;

"You look almost exactly the same... Momma…" he replied, his voice equally as soft and unsure. The tears Kagome had felt earlier, spilled down her cheeks as Shippo pulled her into a tight embrace. She wrapped her arms around his lithe form and buried her face in his armor clad chest; the scent of dried leaves and sweet hay filling her nose.

Shippo held Kagome close; for the first time in his life noticing how small and delicate she was. As a kit she had always seemed so larger than life. Funny how that works…

He held her tighter, wrapping his tail around her legs as he leaned forward enough to bury his nose in her hair and breathed in the soft familar scent of lavender. The scent brought to mind memories of playing with Kilala in hot springs as Kagome and Sango talked; and Kagome introduced the slayer to lavender scented hair soap. It was nice to know that some things never changed.

Kagome wasn't sure how long they stood there; just holding on to each other. Her tears had dried; but still they clung to each other… almost as if afraid that should they let go; time would once again steal one of them away.

Suddenly Shippo's pocket began buzzing under his armor; he pulled out his phone and accepted the call.

"Status." Sesshomaru's stoic voice once again snapped; surprisingly clear despite the fact that the inu-lord was in another realm. Shippo smiled;

"It's been retrieved." He stated.

"And the thief?" he demanded. Shippo frowned;

"She still lives, sir,"

There was a heavy pause, "Explain…" the inu-lord growled.

"Something else caught our attention…" Shippo replied with a wince.

"Meaning….?"

"We found our miko…" Shippo replied, unable to keep the grin from his face.

There was another pause; "You found her?"

"Yes sir, more like she found us, really." Shippo replied, wrapping an arm around Kagome's shoulders and hand led her uphill toward the castle.

"Where is she?"

"Standing right here next to me, sir."

"Is the jewel in her possession?"

"Yes sir…."

"About bloody time," Sesshomaru growled in a rare moment of emotion, "Don't let her leave. I'll be there shortly."

"Understood." Shippo grinned down at her as he pocketed the phone; "Sesshomaru will be here in the next couple days. He asks that you stay until he gets here."

Kagome snorted; "I highly doubt Fluffy ASKED me to do anything. I'm pretty sure he ORDERED you to keep me here until he arrived."

She grinned as Shippo blushed; confirming her suspicion.

"Fortunately for you," she said, "I have no where important I have to be at the moment and I can afford to miss a few days of school, if I have to. Besides I would love to see ol' Fluffy and we need to discuss the jewel after all."

Shippo smiled; relieved that she understood. He had in no way forgotten how stubborn his mother could be if she wanted to.

"I'm glad you agree," He said, "It makes my life soooo much easier."

"Tell me," Kagome said, leaning into Shippo's side, "What have you been up to for the last five hundred and some odd years?"

Two days later Boton had still not woken from her coma-like slumber. Both Yusuke and Kurama had attempted to contact Koenma... but the toddler prince was refusing to respond. Both Yukina and Kurama had tried to heal the unconcious woman; but so far, Boton simply wasn't responding.

"Any change?" Kuwabara asked dropping his school bag by the door. Yukina turned to look at him with sad garnet eyes.

"No..." she said softly, "I've tried, but she's just not responding. I don't know what's wrong with her Kazuma. It's like there's some dark oily residue within her that I can't get rid of. My energy just slides right off it..."

Kuwabara pulled Yukina into tight hug; gently stroking her hair trying to soothe the korime. Meanwhile his mind worried at the recent events like a dog with a bone.

Something was off. Plain old wrong. It didn't make sense. If this dog demon, or whatever he was, was so powerful... why did Koenma send Boton to steal from him? What would Reiki gain from a war with Makai; since Kurama was certain that this dog would be able to unite the demon lands where the other demon lords had failed?

The kitsune had told Kagome that they were the jewel's guardians... in HER stead. Which meant that Kagome had somehow met these demons before? But that was impossible...wasn't it? Kurama had said that both the dog and wolf demons lived deep in the wild uncharted parts of Makai... that they were reclusive and secretive. He had never known the fox to be wrong before... was it possible he was now?

And that brought him to Kagome... she hadn't even flinched at the blood covering the grass...or the injured wolves. In fact she barely reacted to them fighting... which she should have. Shouldn't she? How often do 'humans' create huge energy blasts from their fingers, or glowing orange swords...and most definitely whips made from roses?

Which led him to believe that she had known or at least suspected that there was something different about them. But again...HOW?!

Frustrated, Kuwabara left Yukina to her vigil and started walking. What the hell was the shikon no something-or-another anyway? That was the real question. This all started because Koenma wanted this stupid little...marble. Why?

Why go through all that trouble? Further more... why had those demons pursued Boton across the Makai and into the Human World for it?

Lost in thought, Kuwabara walked, relying on his six sense to warn him of danger.

He turned, mind still focused elsewhere... when his foot caught something hard. He crashed to the ground; groaning in pain he lifted himself from a set of long cement stairs. He blinked owlishly for a moment; confused.

Where was he? This wasn't his neighborhood...this wasn't even Genkai's neighborhood.

At the base of the stone steps was a simple sign that stated; "Higurashi Shrine". Higurashi? Wasn't that Kagome's last name? Was it possible this was her family home? Excited; Kuwabara hurried up the steps, passing patrons talking quietly, small purplish marble charms dangling from their hands.

As he crested the hill, a modest house sat in the middle of the shrine grounds, to the left stood a large ancient looking tree that was fenced off. Behind that, an old tool shed.

The energy there felt different; he instantly felt calmer and more relaxed, welcomed even. The ancient tree seemed to shimmer to his eyes; the energy he felt from it was enormous. He had to bring Kurama back here...

"Is there anything I can help you with?" A teenage boy asked. Kuwabara turned, and tried not to let his jaw drop. The kid was tall, only a couple inches shorter then Kuwabara. His dark hair was trimmed short, large chocolate eyes watched him with kindess and sincerity. The kid was a younger, male version of Kagome. There was no doubting the family resemblance.

"Uhhh no..." Kuwabara stammered,"I mean...yes... I'm not sure..."

The teenager laughed, raising an eyebrow at the older youth's clumsiness. Kuwabara glanced back at the tree... how do you ask someone's younger brother about them? Did this kid have any idea what his sister was doing? Did he know about her assocation with demons?

"Actually I'm curious...do you have a sister named Kagome? You look just like a friend of mine..."

The boy's face instantly closed off and became guarded. He watched Kuwabara suspiciously; "You know Kagome?"

"Kinda... we've met a few times," Kuwabara said; deciding to just be truthful. "She's my friend's lab partner. We've been trying to get to know her and all. I just happened by the shrine and noticed the name..."

"Wait...wait..I know you..." the teenager said, "you're the goofy loud guy she was telling me 'bout... Kazumo or something..."

"Kazuma," he corrected, he grinned. "Yea that was probably me. I didn't know Kagome lived on a shrine..."

"She doesn't anymore," the teenager said, "she moved out a couple years ago. By the way I'm Souta."

"Kazuma Kuwabara," he replied, "though most people just call me Kuwabara."

Souta eyed the tall, ginger haired man warily. He didn't seem like another Hojo, or a stalker... though he did look like a punk. Still, he had a good spirit; bright and far stronger than most. Trust Kagome to find and befriend anyone who strayed from the norm.

Once again Kuwabara's gaze moved from him to the Tree of Ages. Souta smiled, he had lived his whole life surrounded by the comforting presence of the ancient tree; he sometimes forgot how odd its energy could feel to someone who was sensitive.

"That's the Tree of Ages; it's a sacred tree that has survived for centuries..." Souta said, "My sister says that it will always span the ages. There are trees like this all over the world. They somehow connect the past and present..."

"Wow..." Kuwabara said, "I've never felt a plant have energy like that..." then realizing what he had said, "I mean...uh..."

"Exactly what you said..." Souta replied with a grin, then clapped the older man on the shoulder, "don't worry, Kagome has a knack for finding and befriending those that are...different."

Kuwabara smirked, "well that's nice to know..." he sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. For some odd reason he wanted to ask this kid about the Shikon no...Whatever; he even wanted to ask about the russet colored fox and the wolf. The impulse was so strong he had to bite his tongue to keep it from spilling out in a massive case of word vomit.

Souta watched the older man as he chewed on his lip. He was an open individual, his thoughts and emotions playing across his face in an endless stream. Something was bothering the man and Souta would bet his brand new Xbox that it had to do with his sister.

"C'mon," Souta said, "let's get some tea and you can tell me what's bothering you."

Kuwabara blinked and grinned; "that obvious huh?"

Souta nodded as he led his sister's friend into the house. The smell of cookies filled the air; instantly putting Kuwabara at ease.

"Oh hello sweetie," Ms. Higurashi said, wiping her hands on her apron and give her son a kiss on his cheek. Souta blushed and smiled at his mother.

"Mom this is Kazuma Kuwabara," he said, "He's a friend of Kagome's."

"Hello ma'am" Kuwabara greeted giving a small bow to the older woman.

"Hello Kazuma," Ms. Higurashi said with a warm smile, "it's so nice to meet you. I'm glad Kagome is making new friends. It's been so long..."

Kuwabara filed that comment away for later. Kagome was a warm and friendly person; how was it that she hadn't made any new friends in 'so long'?

Souta grabbed them some tea and snagged a few fresh hot cookies; then walked back outside to a small table behind the house.

"So, Kuwabara," Souta said, "Let's talk..."

They made idly chit chat for a while; Kuwabara telling him how he had first met Kagome and even retold how she decked Yusuke. Souta laughed, eyes narrowing slightly when Kuwabara mentioned that Yusuke still bore a slight mark were Kagome had slugged him.

Souta knew his sister; nothing inflamed her notorious temper quite like perverts. She had told him enough stories about her friend Miroku to know what happens. Between her and Sango, Souta was amazed Miroku hadn't been dead within a week. Granted the monk deserved every blow... he had to respect the man for his persistance.

So if this Yusuke had indeed pissed his sister off, there was no doubt she slugged him. What interested him though...was the mark on the guy's cheek. He had sparred enough times with his sister to know that when Kagome got angry or startled her energy would spike. In a human, her energy would simply pass through them, cleansing them of negativity and leaving them feeling better than they had felt in ages. It was only with demons that her energy burned.

"This Yusuke...is he like you?" Souta asked, though he already suspected he knew the answer.

Kuwabara shook his head. "Naw..." he said, "he likes fighting. We have that in common. But he's not sensitive like sis and me; though he's getting better...ever since..." Kuwabara snapped his jaw shut with a click of his teeth. He couldn't believe he always blurted out 'ever since his demon blood surfaced'. Sheesh... this kid was way to easy to talk to.

"Hmmhmmm," Souta murmured; intellegent brown eyes taking note of the slight slip.

Desperate to change the subject, Kuwabara blurted, "So does your sister have a thing for wolves?" Instantly he wanted to bang his head on the table. Idiot. What sort of question was that?!

Souta blinked then grinned as he thought; "Truthfully she seems to have a 'thing' for canines in general," he replied, thinking of InuYasha, Shippo and Kouga. "Especially if the wolf has blue eyes," he added laughing, remembering how she had spoken about the wolf prince that had courted her in the past. She had particularly liked his electric blue eyes...

Kuwabara's eyes snapped up at that. Souta noticed the others sudden interest and felt his amusement drain away. Surely he couldn't mean...

"but to answer your question; yes, she has a thing for wolves. Black wolves with blue eyes in particular..."Souta said casually, watching Kuwabara's reaction from behind a curtain of hair, "they remind her of a very old friend named...Kouga, I believe..." Kuwabara's eyes widened and there was a spark of recognition in those steel blue eyes.

_Hot damn..._ Souta thought, was it possible that Kouga had found her? The loss of her friends had been a devastating blow to his sister. If she ever found them again; she would go with them without hesitation. Had this man perhaps seen Kagome go with her wolf? Was he aware of demons...or just happened upon them?

"I think," Souta said, "perhaps you should tell me what is troubling you..."

"A friend of mine was hurt recently," Kuwabara said, unsure why he was sharing the information with this stranger; yet, his instincts told him to trust the kid, that somehow he could help. "She took a gem of some sort. I don't know why. But because of it...she was hurt. The ones, who came after her to retrieve this item, said she had stolen it. Which just doesn't make sense. For some reason your sister was there when we confronted the people who were chasing my friend. She told us that nothing good could ever come from this stone. She called the two guys 'Shippo' and 'Kouga'; she seemed to know them. She went with them; to return the gem, I guess. My team is furious that our friend was hurt... they can't seem to see past the fact that these guys hurt her. But something is bothering me about the whole situation. Our friend is a sweet innocent person...she wouldn't steal anything... She said her boss told her to do it; but no one has asked WHY. It doesn't make sense Souta...we're missing something..."

The story was vague in the extreme; but Souta knew enough of Kagome's own travels to feel his eyes widen.

"This gem..." he asked, "did it look like a purple marble?"

Kuwabara shook his head, "more like a black marble. And it felt really bad. I couldn't believe Bo...I mean, my friend could stand to touch it...though, now that you mention it, when your sister picked it up, it seemed to turn to a pale purple. Weirdest thing I ever saw..."

"Bloody hell..." Souta muttered; it sounded like the jewel had been tainted without his sister there to care for it. Kagome had told him that InuYasha had taken the jewel from her before shoving her down the well. Was it possible that Shippo and Kouga had been guarding it all these years? Kuwabara was right; there was definintely something off about his story.

"Has my sister spoken to you about this at all?" He asked. Again Kuwabara shook his head. Damn. If Kagome hadn't told him then Souta couldn't. It was her past...he had no right to share it without her permission.

"Tell me, Kuwabara," he asked as an idea sprung to mind, "what do you know of the legend of the Shikon no Tama?"

"That's what they called the stone!" he said excitedly; then his eyes widened. "You know what's going on..."

"I know only what has happened in the past," Souta corrected. "I'll tell you this...your friend should never have touched that jewel. Her boss should never have told her to do so. That jewel is dangerous and has caused nothing but the worst misery you can imagine to ANYONE who has ever touched it." then after a moment of thought, he added, "C'mon. I have something that might help."

They cleared their dishes and went back into the house. Souta led him up to his room and handed him a book. Kuwabara glanced at it; 'A Feudal Fairytale' by Kagome Higurashi. What in the world? Why had Souta given him this?

"I didn't know Kagome was a published author..." he muttered.

"There's a lot you don't know about my sister..." he replied. "Take that and read it. When you're done bring it back and we'll talk more."

With that Souta walked Kuwabara to the shrine steps. "Take care, Kuwabara," he said, "and the next time you see Kagome ask her to see your friend. If anyone can help her, Kags can."

"Thanks..." Kuwabara replied, "I'll do my best to protect your sister when we find her."

Souta smiled and shook his head, "I'm not overly worried," he replied, "if she's with who I think she's with; she's safe. And should anything happen to her...you'll have far worse to deal with them me."

With that criptic statement still ringing in his ears; Kuwabara headed down the steps and back to Genkai's. He didn't understand why Souta thought his sister's little fiction book would help him in any way; but his sixth sense had led him to that shrine, and he had to have faith that something good would come out of that visit.

Souta watched Kuwabara disappear down the shrine steps and around the corner. He turned and walked back to the house; pausing in front of the tree of ages.

"Kags..." he whispered, "be careful...where ever you are..."

Kagome sighed in contentment as she walked out onto the balcony overlooking the Western Lands; she breathed in the cool night air of this new world she found herself in. No wonder she had never been able to sense any demons living in her time; they had all been here, in the Makai…a strange wild world with its blood red skies and dark ominous clouds. The very air seemed to have an extra… zing to it. Something that made Kagome's hands itch to let loose and revert to her most primal state.

Shippo had spent the majority of the evening talking; catching her up on what had happened in the five hundred years since she had last seen them. It was a lot to take in; a lot to accept… yet, with the familiar energies of her dearest friends around her, Kagome was able to let go of what she had always 'believed'. After all, it was hard to dispute the existence of alternate worlds when she was currently standing in one.

Yet, as night fell and the sky faded from red to blue-black; it was far easier to accept. Under the cover of darkness; there wasn't much difference between her world and this one.

She had been amazed at how technologically advanced this world was; it made a mockery of the technology in the human world… yet at the same time, it was still so primordial. It was unnerving to see demons dressed in furs and armor working hi-tech healing tanks and security systems. What an intriguing world her friends lived in.

She shifted the fur cloak Shippo had given her, drawing the soft russet fur tighter around her body against the chill in the night air. Was it odd that she recognized this particular fur as that of Shippo's late father? She wasn't sure whether she should be weirded out, or honored that he had gifted this obviously treasured item to her.

Knowing how he had treasured his father's pelt as a child; she leaned more towards being honored, shoving the vague weird uncomfortable feeling she experienced deep down. Instead she ran her fingers through the thick silky fur marveling in its texture; how in the world had he managed to keep it in such pristine condition all these centuries? Was it some technique that was used when it was turned into a cloak? Or was it simply because it was a demon's pelt rather than a normal fox's?

"Welcome, Miko," a cool voice said from behind her. Kagome turned; both startled and…somehow not at the sudden appearance of the powerful demon behind her. She had to admit; he looked good. Well, that was redundant; Sesshomaru always looked good…. However, dressed in a sleek black business suit instead of his normal red and white kimono and armor; he looked stunning. Even with his long silvery hair and liquid amber eyes; Kagome had no problems imagining Sesshomaru as a ruthless business executive within the human world.

She bowed to him and smiled; "It is good to see you again, Lord Sesshomaru," she said, "You have an amazing home…simply…fascinating..."

Was it just her or did the stoic lord's eyes seem to lose a little bit of their chill? No, must have just been a trick of the light.

"I see that the fox has fully welcomed you home," he said, reaching out to lightly brush the copper fur of her cloak. Once again, Kagome gave him a shy grin.

"Yes, it seems Shippo, as well as the Wolves, were all very happy to see me;" she said, instantly falling into step next to the older demon as they began to walk.

"Your absence was very hard on the fox," he said softly, "He never did forgive my brother for taking you away as he did."

Kagome blinked back tears as she thought about it, the memory still tender despite the years.

"His absence was hard on me as well," she admitted, "I had planned on staying with all of you, in the past… I had been discussing it with InuYasha when he…"

Sesshomaru nodded; "He told me…"

"Shippo says he brought the jewel to you before he.." she couldn't finish the thought; it was still hard to believe that after everything they had gone through, had _survived,_ InuYasha had more or less committed suicide to fulfill his promise to Kikyo.

"Indeed," the stoic lord confirmed as they lapsed into silence. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence though, they had fought too many battles, spilt too much blood to ever be truly uncomfortable around each other.

"What do you plan on doing now?" he asked, after several long moments. Kagome shook her head.

"I honestly do not know," she replied, "I had finally accepted that I needed to move on… I had stopped hoping to find any of you. Then, out of the blue…. There Shippo and Kouga are… and there is the one thing that I had never hoped to see again…"

She pulled the now pale jewel from beneath her shirt; "I can't stay here," she told him, "I have my own life in the human world I have to live. But at the same time, I can't simply take the jewel and leave. That would be foolish and asking for trouble. Nor can I reject my responsibly and leave this wrenched thing here… So… where does that leave us?"

Sesshomaru looked at the young human standing quietly next to him. She had barely changed at all since the last time he had seen her, dancing idiotically with Rin and her kit. Yet at the same time, there was a stillness to her now, a depth and maturity that had been lacking back then.

"We will think of something," he said, placing his clawed hand on her shoulder in a small show of comfort. "For now, enjoy your time here. You are safer here then you ever were in the human world."

Kagome smiled at that and bowed to the stoic lord; she knew a dismissal when she heard it. She turned and walked back the way they came, disappearing back into the fortress.

Sesshomaru turned, amber eyes narrowed at the hidden figure within the shadows.

"Kit, you try my patience," he growled. Shippo stepped from the shadows, a sly smirk on his lips.

"Yes, but I'm one of the few who can do so and live," he replied. The inu-lord barely suppressed the urge to roll his eyes at the younger demon.

"Care to explain why you were eavesdropping?" he said instead.

"When she returns," Shippo said his face growing serious, "I'm going with her. I want your permission to do so."

"Why would I allow my general to go to the human world to live permanently? You're needed here." Sesshomaru stated dismissively.

"No offense," Shippo replied, "But that's bullshit."

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at the fox, a growl rumbling in his throat at the disrespect. Shippo swallowed hard at the lump in his throat; but stood his ground.

"We both know I was here to protect the jewel," he said, "Kouga is in charge of the Wolves, not me. For the last five hundred years I was charged with protecting the jewel until Kagome's return. Now Kagome is back and the jewel is once again where it is supposed to be; with its true guardian. All I want is the opportunity to continue doing what I have been doing for the last few centuries."

Sesshomaru smirked; "And your affection for the Miko isn't affecting your judgment at all?"

Shippo frowned, "Do you honestly believe that now that I've found her again, that I'll just let her go? "

Sesshomaru sighed; no, in all honestly he knew the fox would never let the Miko go voluntarily. Like most canines, foxes for nortoriously possessive and loyal. Shippo had longed for his adoptive mother for centuries; more so than he had ever mourned or longed for his true kitsune parents. At first, his attachment and…obsession… with the Miko had worried Sesshomaru. Yet, surprisingly the fox had never lusted after the girl; even when he matured, Shippo had retained at child-like hope of finding his 'Momma' in the future. Now that he had indeed found her; Sesshomaru wasn't cruel enough to separate them.

"If she agrees to it," Sesshomaru said, "whatever she decides; you shall follow as her protector."

Shippo barely kept his joy restrained as he hurriedly gave his surrogate uncle a bow and left to find Kagome. He hoped that she would agree; his didn't want to lose her again. He wouldn't lose her again; not if he had anything to say about it.

He found her in her room; lounging out on the balcony, looking up at the stars; his father's pelt still wrapped around her shoulders. He smiled; he knew the gift had been odd for her, especially since she undoubtedly realized what it was… but, he had it specifically made on the off chance he ever found her again; it was a token to show their family connection.

"Momma?" he called softly as he walked into the room.

"Out here," she said, standing to give him a hug. He smiled as she thin arms wrapped around him; it felt so good to have them there, to bask in the warmth and love she radiated.

"I spoke with Sesshomaru," he said softly; dark eyes looked at him sharply, curiosity clear in their chocolaty depths.

"And?"

"If you agree to it," he said, "Sesshomaru has agreed to allow me to return to the human world with you. I'm to be your protector."

Kagome felt her face split into a joyful grin; "Really?"

He nodded; she let out an undignified squeal of delight as she leapt at him again, wrapping her arms around him in another hug.

"That's wonderful!" she laughed.

"You agree then?"

"Of course! I've missed you so much! I would love for you to come back to the human world with him!" Kagome said excitedly, "You can finally meet the rest of my family! Souta has been dying to meet you! And I know my mom will just adore you!"

Below, still sitting peacefully in his gardens, Sesshomaru allowed a smile to curl his lips at the happy chatter that filtered down from above him. He had forgotten how loud the girl could be when she was happy. Still, she definitely livened things up…

**A/N: Alright, I've reread it a dozen different time and the words are running together. Another chapter out. I'm still flabbergastered at the amount of reviews I got for the last chapter. I'm so glad you're enjoying my story so far. I had a couple people mention that the reunion between Kagome, Shippo and Kouga wasn't what they were expecting... so I hope that this will make up for that. I hope everyone likes this chapter as much as the last. **

**BTW I need a beta for another story I'm rewriting. This one isn't a fanfiction; but something I'm hoping to get published one day. However, editing is seriously not my strong suit. So I'm thinking I need to tackle it like I do fanfiction-one chapter at a time. It will probably be classified as a Paranormal Romance once I'm done with it. Anyone interested? Possibly? If you are, PM me. Thanks!**

**Don't forget to REVIEW!**


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own IY or YYH

A/N: Wow thank you so much for all the wonderful reviews! Ya'll are awesome!

Lies by Omission

Chapter 6

Hiei crouched down, hidden within the thick foliage of one of the many trees native to the Makai. Below him, in the garden less than twenty yards away, sat a human woman who appeared to be doing meditation; the same human woman he had followed into the Makai four days ago.

As if seeing a human, so deep within the harsh uninhabited wilds of Makai, wasn't strange enough; this woman seemed to somehow have status within this odd secluded tribe. As a norm, demons were not known for being social creatures. Clans tended to stick to their own species... yet this clad had wolves, dogs, a fox and now a human? What the hell?

Then to have the demons treated the human with respect...what was the world coming to? What could this young woman have done to earn the respect of an entire _tribe_ of demons? Powerful demons at that? Over half of the demons that made up this strange mixed tribe were all upper A class; several including the wolf and fox he had met earlier, were S class.

Hiei had been silently observing the activities of the tribe for the last few days; as a whole, the tribe ran like a well-oiled machine. Everyone seemed to know their place and their job. The girl, a stranger and a guest to this village; moved through it with confidence and ease. Normally with either the fox or one of three wolves as escorts; yet even without them, she displayed no fear or unease at being surrounded by demons. in fact, everyone was greeted with a warm smile and kind words; as if she was truly happy to meet them all. She even played with the cubs; rolling around with them in the dirt and leaves, much to the amusement of the mothers.

She spent the majority of her time associating with the wolf demons within the village. When she wasn't there she could be found walking with the fox; who shadowed her like a possessive demon that had just found his mate.

After spending the day down at the village; the girl normally returned to the castle where she would go sit out in the gardens and meditate or preform some sort of martial art forms.

He hadn't seen the jewel since he had arrived nor could he sense it's power; almost like its power was muted somehow. He wasn't sure how that was possible since the thing had radiated malice before.

He sat back and pinched the bridge of his nose; he could feel a headache coming on. Even though, as a demon, he shouldn't be getting headaches…he could still feel one coming on.

Nothing about this was making any sense. He really couldn't care less why Reiki wanted the jewel; he would be damned if he allowed that bastard to acquire something as powerful as that jewel. Koenma was an insufferable fool as it was; he didn't need more power.

No, what didn't make sense was why a coward like Koenma would risk war with this tribe. If even half the rumors were true; the Reiki would have no chance in hell, even with Enma and his lackeys involved. Hiei was also willing to wager that the Yomi and Muruko would join too; simply because they loathed Reiki and would back anyone with the power to actually oppose the bastards.

So what was their angle? Did Koenma believe the jewel was the source of their power? If he did, he was an idiot. Any fool could tell over half of these demons didn't need the power of such an artifact.

Hiei shook his head; it just didn't make any bloody sense. Hiei focused on the woman again; he wasn't as conniving as Kurama was. He was a killer, plain and simple, he followed his instincts; and right now, his instincts were telling him that for whatever reason, the girl was important.

Suddenly the air shifted and a gale force wind slammed into him; knocking him from his tree branch. Hiei flipped and landed lightly on the ground; cursing, how had he not noticed that he had been spotted?

"Hello there, firefly," a tall demon said with a cocky smile on his face, his ebony hair was pulled up into a high tail and his piercing electric blue eyes danced with a vicious mirth; the same electric blue eyes that had starred at him from the eyes of the massive black wolf only days before.

"I thought I smelled you on the wind," he said," I've been wanting a piece of you, you cut my wolves to ribbons,"

Ruby eyes flicked to survey his surrounding; they were alone, or so it appeared. Yet, Hiei knew that was an illusion; it would take only one small noise for the rest of the wolves to descend upon him like locusts. Even he wouldn't be able to survive those odds.

He'd have to dispatch this wolf as quickly and QUIETLY as possible…

Kouga regarded the smaller demon in front of him with anticipation. He was a fast little twerp; but then again, so was Kouga. Plus, Kouga's instincts warned him that there was more to this demon then immediately apparent.

He smelled of cinders and ash; of hell fire and the icy chill of death. One arm was bound in sutras and bandages; yet he wielded his katana with ease... so the arm wasn't injured. The bandana around his fore-head hid something as well; he had seen the soft purple glow beneath the white. He just didn't know what that meant.

He saw the subtle tensing of the demon's muscles; then he was moving in a black blur. Kouga had to give him credit; he was fast. Faster than most… then again; Kouga was pretty quick himself.

Hiei was stunned for a moment when the wolf blocked his sword strike with his forearm; blood dripped down the appendage in a steady stream. Worse, the wolf used their close proximity to knee Hiei in the stomach.

He stumbled back as the air left his lungs in a whoosh. He hadn't been expecting that. Most tried to get out of the way; they dodged…. They didn't use their body to block, just so they could land an attack.

Hiei needed to put distance between he and the wolf; lead him further into the dense forest that surrounded the castle and village so that no one would hear the fight.

He turned and zipped away; disappearing further into the wood. Kouga snarled;

"Oh no you don't, you coward," he cursed, and leapt after the smaller demon. Still furious over the damage done to his wolves and further excited by the anticipation of battle; Kouga pulled out all the stops as he raced after the other demon.

Hiei had only gone half a mile when he was slammed into from behind and knocked him to the ground. Instantly he twisted, lashing out with sword and flame. The weight left his back; and he leapt to his feet.

Hiei wanted to curse; he hadn't realized the wolf was that fast. Damn. No matter. He had under-estimated his opponent; he wouldn't do so again.

Kouga grinned as the demon flung off his black cloak; finally the little fucker was ready to fight.

They leapt at each other; moving far too fast for the normal eye to follow. Blood splattered the area from both parties as they slashed at each other with fang, claw and sword. Soon the scent of burnt hair permeated the clearing; yet even the addition of the Mortal Flame didn't give Hiei the advantage over the wolf, especially over a wolf that was use to the sting of a certain kitsune's fox fire.

After what felt like ages; the two separated, both bloody and breathless. Dirt and blood covered them as they glared at each other from across the clearing; only the sounds of their harsh breathing could be heard.

"C'mon, firefly," Kouga taunted with a grin, "Surely that's not all you have. It'll take a lot more than that to defeat me…"

Hiei smirked; where had he heard those words before? And just like back then, he replied;

"Here comes a lot more…"

Kouga watched in fascination as the demon began to rip the bandages off of his arm. Malevolent, energy filled the clearing reminiscent of Naraku's vile miasma. He had heard that one of the Reiki dogs had somehow managed to master a terrifying technique. Spectators from the Dark Tournament had spoken of a monstrous black dragon that one of the fighters had called that had all but destroyed the stadium.

Kouga had wished he had been there to see that attack; now it seemed like he would get a personal demonstration of it.

Hiei watched as the wolves eyes narrowed in anticipation; almost like he recognized what Hiei was doing and was excited. Idiot. He wouldn't be excited for long.

Suddenly a glowing whip whizzed by his hand; scraping his knuckles. Hiei hissed as the wound burned like acid; in his head he could hear the dragon bellow in pain and fury. The attack cut through the Dragon's aura; causing it to dissipate.

_What the hell?!_ Hiei snarled mentally; no one had ever been able to interrupt his attack before. How dare they…

"What the hell?!" the wolf snarled, echoing Hiei's thoughts, "Stay out of this!"

From the shadows of the forest walked the russet-haired fox and a silver-haired male in a black suit.

"Stand down, wolf," the silver-haired male commanded, "This Sesshomaru wishes to speak with him,"

"What?!" Kouga bellowed. "Dammit this is MY fight!"

"Do not make me repeat myself."

Kouga clenched his jaw; this was HIS fight, dammit. But, he wasn't stupid enough to challenge the dog over it.

Hiei watched as the wolf straightened and stalked away; back toward the village, his anger a tangible thing around him. That action told him all he needed to know about this new demon; THIS was the tribes elusive pack leader...

He tensed; as he waited for the Seshomaru's next move. Unease slithered though his stomach; he had never encountered someone who could send dragon back into its dormant state with just a slap of his energy. Hiei growled; he didn't enjoy being played with.

"You are after the jewel," Sesshomaru stated, "This is unacceptable."

Hiei glared at him; his mind running over options and liking none of outcomes. He preferred to have some outcome that didn't involve him lying dead in the dirt at the demons feet.

"I couldn't give a shit about that jewel," Hiei growled in reply, "I just want to know what it is and why Reiki wants it."

Amber eyes regarded him silently; Hiei glared back, refusing to be intimidated. He might die; but he refused to back down.

"You know of the ones who stole from this Sesshomaru," again it was a statement rather than a question. Hiei remained silent; neither answering nor denying the claim. There was nothing in it for him, so why should he give his information? This demon would just kill him anyway. Either way he was dead.

"The Lord Sesshomaru asked you a question," the fox snarled, "Best you answer him."

In reply, Hiei slide into a defensive crouch. If he was to die; then he was going to go down fighting.

Kuwabara sat next to Boton's still form and read the book Souta had given him. The ferry girl had yet to move, still lost in her coma-like sleep; Kuwabara had told Yukina to go out and get some air. The korime hadn't left Boton's side in nearly a week; his sweet Yukina needed a break.

It wasn't like Boton was going anywhere anyway; none of the treatments either Yukina or Kurama had been using were working. No one had been able to get a hold of Koenma either; though honestly that wasn't surprising, since it was normally Boton who was their liaison to the Spirit World.

Still, one would think that Koenma would have begun to wonder where the hell Boton was at after this long. Surly he's noticed that one of his favorite Ferry Girls was missing?

Kuwabara shook his head; focusing once again on his book. The story in and of itself was good; involving a young teenage girl who was accidently pulled down into a well by demons and suddenly found herself in ancient Japan.

Kagome had done a marvelous job of capturing the girls shock and confusion as she encountered and explored this unknown world. It hadn't been until the middle of the book that he suddenly understood why Souta had insisted on him taking it.

Kuwabara reread the same pages three times as the narrator described her first encounter with the fox demon kit:

_The scent of blood and death hung heavy in the air; torn and broken bodies were strewn across the field. I tried to limit my breathing as the stench made my stomach roll._

_"This is really good!" InuYasha said; his voice overly loud on the eerily silent battle field. The only other sounds were the cries of the carrion birds and the low drone of flies. I cringed as he shoved another mouthful of ramen in his mouth; completely oblivious to my discomfort. _

_"Aren't you going to eat?" he asked, innocently. I tried not to glare at him; or SIT him into the ground simply for being inconsiderate._

_"How can you eat in a place like this?" I asked instead. InuYasha just blinked at me. Suddenly the afternoon grew dark and ominous. Blue flames flickered to life and spun before us._

_"This is…kitsune magic…" Myoga said from his hiding place within InuYasha's silvery hair. We glanced at him for a moment, surprised to see the cowardly flea; then the air began to howl._

_"You bastards!" A disembodied force snarled, "You have shards of Shikon no Tama, don't you!"_

_With a loud POOF a large pink floating ball appeared about our heads; large bulbous eyes glared at us. I could feel my lips twitching; trying to smile. Whatever it was looked like an enormous fluffy pompom ball with great big googly eyes. _

_"Give it to me!" the pompom growled. InuYasha stared at the large fluff ball; his head cocked to the side in puzzlement. Whatever-it-was was about as intimidating as a pink bunny._

_My reserve broke as the fuzzy pink pompom suddenly began to chew on InuYasha's head. I tried to smother my snickers behind my hand, but it was a futile effort. InuYasha's ears flicked back, catching the muffled laughter seconds before his patience snapped._

_He punched the floating pink balloon; sending it sailing through the air with a muffled yelp and the sound of air escaping._

_Then, there, sitting on the blood stained ground rubbing his cheek was the most adorable little demon I had ever seen! He had coppery orange hair tied back in a tail with an aqua colored bow. Large emerald green eyes watered as he rubbed the red mark on his cheek. He had cute little paws for feet and a fluffy cream-colored fox tail. _

_"Whatcha doing you jerk!" the small demon child yelled; his small fists clenched in anger. InuYasha grabbed him by the tail and held him up to get a better look._

_"It's just a raccoon dog in disguise!" he declared with mild disgust._

_"I'm a fox!" the child cried indignantly._

_I couldn't stand it anymore; "Cute!" I squealed, "I want to hug him next!"_

_InuYasha gave me a droll look, even as his eye began to twitch; _

_"What do you think this is?" he demanded. Suddenly InuYasha went crashing to the ground; his hand pinned under a strange looking statue. Noise to my left drew my attention._

_"Ahhh! My stuff!" I yelled; the little brat. I was going to bop him one if InuYasha didn't get to him first!_

_"Got it!" the fox child proclaimed, holding up my bottle of jewel shards, "Fragments of the Shikon no Tama!"_

_The child leapt into the air, laughing manically as blue fire swirled around him; InuYasha and I stared in dismay as the demon winked out of sight._

_"It's gone!" I couldn't believe it. After all that work; some little brat comes and steals all of our shards!_

_Behind me I could hear InuYasha growling low in his throat; if that child believed he had gotten away, he had another thing coming._

_There was a soft sound behind us; a subtle shift in the bones and armor covering the blood drenched ground. Both InuYasha and I turned toward the noise; what now?_

_Suddenly one of the skulls shuddered and began to move. I felt my eyes widen in surprise; then narrowed. There was a fluffy cream-colored fox tail poking out of the back of the skull.  
_

_InuYasha and I shared a look; neither amused. One cracked human skull and a goose-egg later; the jewels were back where they were supposed to be…. In my bag. And a certain troublesome fox fit was sitting in front of us, a lump on his head, his small arms crossed over his chest._

_"My name is Shippo," he said; I crouched in front of him._

_"Why are you after the Shikon no Tama…?"_

Kuwabara shook his head and flipped back to the beginning of the chapter where there was a colored sketch of a small red-headed child with large bright green eyes.

That in and of itself wasn't surprising; no, what was unnerving was the fact that this fox child bore a striking resemblance to the red kitsune that they had run into earlier in the week. The very same one Kagome had called 'Shippo'.

Still, even that Kuwabara could believe; it was possible that Kagome could have simply met the fox at some point in time. No, what really disturbed Kuwabara was the underlying implication. In this story, Shippo was still a kit. The 'Shippo' they had run into earlier had sported five tails; which if he remembered right; kitsune's acquired another tail for every hundred years of life.

That would mean that somehow Kagome had met a full grown five HUNDRED year old kitsune back when he was nothing but a weak child barely within his hundredth year...

Which was completely ridiculous... It wasn't physically possible; Kagome was human. Unless…

He shook his head again;

"It's just not possible," he muttered, slapping the book down on the floor next to him. Agitated, he stood and began pacing; his eyes going back to the book.

He snatched up the book again and glared at it; there was no way… it just wasn't physically possible… was it?

Perhaps it was just coincidence; yea… that's all it was. He flopped back down next to Boton; opening the story up to where he left off,

_"I want revenge on my father's enemy…"_

**A/N: Sorry this chapter is so much shorter then the others. Life is currently interfering with my writing. -_- In any case; I hope ya'll enjoy. Thank you so much for all the wonderful reviews! Ya'll rock! Don't forget to REVIEW!**


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own IY or YYH

**A/N: Thank you for all the wonderful reviews! **

Lies by Omission

Chapter 7:

Kagome sighed in annoyance as she slumped where she sat; the grass was cool beneath her hands, the air was crisp, the sun warm, the scent of something floral hung in the air. The atmosphere was perfect for meditation; yet, she couldn't focus. No matter how hard she tried to clear her mind… she couldn't.

Frustrated, she rose to her feet with a growl; dammit, what was the matter with her? She hadn't been this restless in years. She paced for a moment; walking the length of the secluded garden then back, counting her steps. Still, the restless sensation continued.

She turned and headed towards the village; hoping the mile long trek downhill would help soothe whatever was causing her sudden restlessness. The walk was strenuous; the narrow mountain path was meant for the speed and agility of demon kind, not a human. By the time she reached the village; she was well and truly tired… Yet, within a few moments of catching her breath… the restlessness was making her fidget.

Deciding that perhaps she just needed to get her mind on something else, or perhaps just spar a bit; Kagome headed off in search of Kouga. The wolf was always up for a good scuffle and unlike Shippo; he didn't go easy on her because she was human.

Yet, upon arriving at her pack brothers home; Ayame informed her that Kouga wasn't home, in fact she hadn't seen him since the day before.

How odd. Then again, now that she thought about it; she hadn't seen Shippo since the day before either.

She bid the red haired she-wolf good-bye and kept walking. She let her mind drift; trying to identify what was bothering her. It was just a nagging sensation at the back of her mind… irritating her like a pebble in her shoe…

She paused as she passed one cavern; something within the darkness catching her attention. There wasn't anything special about it. It was just a dark hole in the side of the mountain; just like countless others the wolves had made into dens. Yet…

Without any real conscious thought; Kagome stepped into the cave. That nagging little insistent voice in the back of her mind kept whispering; _this way…keep going. _

Within a few steps the temperature turned frigid; Kagome pulled the cloak Shippo had given her tighter around her shoulders. Voices whispered from the dark abyss in front of her; just loud enough that she could almost make out what they were saying; she kept walking, her eyes growing accustomed to the darkness.

Was that light ahead?

Kagome studied the faint orange-ish glow in the back of the cavern; she blinked, trying to decipher whether it was truly light….or if her eyes were playing tricks on her.

Curious, she moved towards that faint glow; by now the cavern entrance was small beacon behind her. She stumbled slightly as the floor suddenly dropped down into a slope.

The air around her seemed to press down upon her; for a moment she couldn't breathe… The cave seemed to be whispering around her…

No…not the cave. Voices… real voices…up ahead. Kagome moved cautiously; suddenly aware that she was probably someplace that she shouldn't be. Damn her curiosity.

The voices grew stronger, louder, harsher… she recognized those familar tones; Kouga and Shippo. Then there was the soft thud and a soft hiss of pain.

"Who sent the thief to steal the jewel…?" Shippo's voice demanded; the voice that spoke to her with such warmth and love… was now as cold and desolate as the artic tundra.

Silence met his words. Another thud; another hiss. Kagome could now pick up the subtle coppery scent in the air. She'd never be able to forget that scent. Blood.

She silently peered round the corner; both Kouga and Shippo were facing away from her, intent on questioning the demon that was chained to the ceiling and floor. She moved closer; she knew neither Shippo nor Kouga would hurt her, and they were talking about the Jewel… by all rights, she should have been here were they started questioning this demon.

She took in the demon they had strung up. He wasn't very tall, by the looks of things. He was barely as tall as Kouga, and his feet weren't even touching the floor. His dark hair hung limply in places, matted with dirt and blood; the rest of the inky hair defied gravity. He was bare chested; blood ran in rivulets down his pale sculpted flesh and spattered onto the cavern floor.

His hands were chained above him; the metal was etched in runes. _To prevent him from using his abilities…_ Kagome realized. His feet were chained to the floor as well.

The demons breath was shallow; his aura weakened. Kagome felt her stomach twist; how long had they been down here with him? Torturing him? The thought made Kagome want to hurl; it was hard to imagine her sweet Shippo and happy-go-lucky Kouga brutally torturing someone.

_Get a grip girl,_ She growled at herself, _they're demons, what the hell did you expect? If this demon has information on who tried to steal the jewel then we need that information. Now that the blasted Jewel is back; YOU are its guardian and you can NOT allow it to fall into the wrong hands ever again. Remember Naraku… remember what happened. That will never happen again, not while you have breath left in your body. So put your big girl panties on and do what you know needs to be done!_

She squared her shoulders after her little self-scolding and returned to studying the prisoner. His face was bloody and bruised; yet, despite being weakened, he glared at Kouga defiantly, daring him to continue the abuse. His eyes were cold and hard chips of garnet; promising pain and death to the two in front of him should he ever be free again.

It was those odd crimson eyes that suddenly jogged Kagome's memory. She had only 'met' Kurama's friend the one time; but the small demon had left an impression as he had slashed his way through Kouga's wolves, barely more then a black blur.

"Hiei…"

Kouga and Shippo whirled at the soft sound behind them. Shippo felt his eyes widen and his stomach drop. Kagome stood a mere ten feet behind him…how had he not noticed her approach?!

She watched the prisoner with surprised, sad eyes...

Shippo glanced to the side at Kouga; the wolf had the same surprised, 'oh shit' look on his face that Shippo was sure was plastered across his own.

Kagome looked at both her friends; why in the world were they torturing this demon? Was it possible that Kurama's friend had been working with the blue haired woman? They had defended her; it was obvious that they knew her. Was it possibly that all this time that she had been sitting quietly next to Kurama in class… he and his friends had been spending their nights planning a heist to steal the jewel? The thought made Kagome's blood run cold.

"What are you doing down here?" Shippo demanded, trying to shake off the anxiety that suddenly tightened his stomach. He suddenly felt…guilty…

Kagome regarded him quietly; "I could ask the same of you," she replied, "but, it's painfully obvious what you've been doing. So instead, I'll ask…why?"

The silence was deafening, only broken by the soft splatter of the demons blood hitting the stone floor. Kagome narrowed her eyes at the silent pair. So that was how it was going to be. So be it.

"Alright," she said softly, "I'll find out on my own."

"Kags…" Kouga said, taking a step towards her and she stalked toward the demon hanging behind them.

The glare she cut towards him silenced the wolf on the spot. He gulped; it had been a LOOONG time since he had seen Kagome that angry.

"Hiei?" she called, looking up into his battered face. Crimson eyes glared at her; clear, alert and filled with a cold rage… oh yes, his body may have been damaged, but it hadn't touched the mind inside.

Hiei glared at the human girl standing before him; how the hell did she know his name? Neither the wolf nor the fox attempted to pull her away from him; in fact, they looked almost cowed... like a child that had just been scolded by their parent… or even Yusuke when Kieko had just slapped the hell out of him.

She smiled at him; "My name is Kagome," she said, warmly, "I'm a friend of Kurama and the Kuwabara siblings."

Hiei remained silent; well, that would at least explain how she knew his name. One of them had more than likely mentioned him; he's have to remedy that when he returned…

Suddenly the girl reached up towards his face; he jerked away with snarl. She didn't move, arms still outstrethed; even though the two behind her tensed. Hiei was half tempted to snap at her; if he aimed right he could rip her wrist open without any problems…

Distracted by the thought and the blurring in his right eye; he didn't see her move again. Cool hands cradled his fevered face in a gentle by firm hold. He jerked again as warmth flowed into him; startled he struggled to get out of her hold. The warmth spread through his head and down his throat; burning, it felt like acid across his skin.

He clenched his jaw against the bellow of pain that bubbled in his throat; the beatings he could take. It wasn't anything that he hadn't experienced before… but this… this was a new form or torture. It was like every nerve ending he possessed was on fire at once.

Just as suddenly as it started; the warmth was gone. Hiei hung limply in the chains; what little remained of his strength, depleted.

"I'm sorry about that," the girl said softly, "My power wasn't really made for demons. So it hurts like hell; but you should feel better here in a few minutes…"

Kagome watched the demon closely; his breath was heavy, and sweat covered his brow… yet already his color was improving and the swelling and bruises around his face and eyes were fading.

Hiei blinked several times; his right eye was no longer blurry. In fact, his face barely hurt at all anymore.

He glanced at the two demons standing behind the woman; neither looked happy. Scowls twisted both their faces as they glared at him. He smirked; it seemed the little human had undone all of their hard work… what a pity.

"Hiei?" His eyes snapped back to the human. She looked at him almost expectantly.

"Why have you healed me?" he growled, the first words he had spoken since he had woken up chained.

"I'd like to talk to you if you're up to it?" she said, smiling at him. Hiei growled, tugging on the chains.

"Get me down and I'll think about it," he growled, giving her cruel smirk. Another smile curled her lips; this one not as innocent as the last.

"You answer my questions, Hiei," She giving him a warm smile, "And I'll free you. That's the deal." He growled. He'd add her to his list of beings to kill…right after the wolf and fox.

"Your choice, Hiei," she said, when it became apparent that he wasn't going to speak, "Answer a few questions, I'll get you down. We'll get something to eat and have a nice, calm, talk out in the crisp open air….," She paused, the warmth draining from her dark eyes until they were as cold and hard as chipped glass. She leaned in close; her lips a bare whisper away from his ear as she breathed; "Or, I can turn around and leave. Kouga and Shippo will continue to interrogate you. You'll remain silent. Then, when they fail as I know they will; Sesshomaru will come down here and HE will interrogate you. And if you survive that... I'll speak with Sesshomaru then… because while I may only be human, I doubt pain will never faze someone like you. You don't fear pain or death; you've lived it your whole life. No, I'll recommend that when he's done with you; he toss you, broken and helpless, into the deepest darkest hole he can find and he'll leave you there. Broken. Helpless. Crippled. You'll never again run free; never again feel the breeze on your skin, or the thrill of the fight. You'll be trapped, in the cold, in the dark, with the earth pressing down upon you. No sounds, no smells, just oppressive nothingness…how long would you last? A century? Two? Ten?"

Hiei felt a ball of dread form in his stomach at her words; he could survive anything thrown at him. He had endured through untold abuse… yet, what she described… terrified him. To trapped beneath the earth, crippled... never again be able to run or hunt… That truly was a fate worse than death.

He snarled and jerked at his chains. The girl took a step back; her eyes still hard,and cold. "Do we have a deal?" she asked.

"Ask your questions," Hiei snapped. Shippo felt his jaw drop; what the hell had his mother said to him that would make him speak when they couldn't.

"First," she said softly, "Are you after the Shikon no Tama?"

"No." Hiei replied, "As I told those idiots before, I have no use for the jewel."

"Did you come here to kill anyone?"

"No."

"If I free you," she said, "Can you control your temper and not attack anyone that belongs to this tribe?"

Hiei opened his mouth,

"Ah, ah," the girl said, with a grin, the smile not reaching her eyes, "No lies…"

Hiei snapped his jaw shut and remained silent;

"Hiei?" she said, "This is an important one; I can't free you if you're going to kill my family."

"I won't kill anyone…" he growled; _yet._

"Your oath," she said, "you won't kill anyone and you'll stay and talk with me until my questions are satisfied."

Hiei growled, "You would take the word of a thief and a murderer?"

"I don't care about your past," she replied, waving her hand dismissivly, "Only about the here and now. No one here is without sin. Do I have your oath?"

He thought about it for several moments; she was basically saying that she would trust his word… Trust. How he hated that one little word. Why did these stupid humans keep trying to place trust in him of all people? First Yusuke and now this girl…

"Hiei…?"

"You have my word," Hiei growled, "Now get me the fuck down."

"Kagome you can't do this," Shippo hissed, "Sesshomaru will be pissed."

"We need to know why he's here," Kagome replied, turning to regard Shippo coolly, "And beating him wasn't working. He cut his teeth on pain; he's used to it. You never would have gotten anything from him that way."

"This is a bad idea," Kouga agreed, "We don't know anything about him!"

"He's a thief and murderer," she replied with a grin, the warmth returning to her eyes, "As I recall, both of you can also have those labels applied, yes? Yet, I still trust you… there's no one I would trust more…"

"That's not the same thing and you know it, Kagome," He snarled.

"You can't trust him!" Shippo growled,

"Shippo," she replied, almost flippantly, "I have practically made a career out of trusting those who appeared untrustworthy. If I remember right, all of you tried to kill me, steal from me, OR kidnap me at some point in time. So far, all Hiei has been guilty of is being associated to the person who stole the jewel and then following us here. Not like ya'll were exactly subtle back there anyway; what with your uniforms and what not. So despite his reputation; I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt. If he so much as breathes in a way we don't like…kill him."

Kouga and Shippo blinked in shock.

"Do you want me to heal the rest of your wounds?" she asked, turning back to Hiei and giving him a warm smile. Hiei regarded her silently; debating. The pain had been excruciating; yet the idea of walking around a hostile village while he was so severely injured wasn't appealing either. He gave a sharp nod.

"Brace yourself," she said; then her hand touched his chest and the acidic warm spread. He clenched his jaw against the pain as it moved through his veins like shards of glass. After what seemed like an eternity, the warmth faded, leaving him panting and coated in sweat.

"Fuck…" he hissed. He tensed as the wolf and fox closed in; the cowards were going to finish him off while he was weak… Suddenly he dropped unceremoniously to the ground; his arms free of the shackles, followed by the ones at his ankles.

He blinked…He was... free…

Shippo and Kouga took a step back as the weakened demon's power surged; now healed of the crippling injuries Sesshomaru had given him, the demon could unleash his Dragon… they would survive, but Kagome and the village wouldn't.

For a moment Hiei was tempted to make these demons suffer for the humiliation he had to endure; the Dragon tugged at his arm, demanding retribution.

Yet, the human girl hadn't backed away like the other two; she knelt in front of him, concern in her dark eyes.

Concern?

"Are you alright?" she asked; Hiei glared at her. It would be so easy to kill her; kill her and destroy this pathetic tribe…. Yet, he was still weak… he knew that. He could feel the fine trembling in his muscles indicating fatigue. The girl had healed his wounds; but hadn't replenished his energy. He'd need food and rest for that… to unleash the Dragon now, though satisfying, would be foolish. He might be able to kill the wolf and fox… but he would leave himself open to capture again when he succumbed to hibernation.

Kagome stood and held out her hand to him. His gaze flicked first to her hand, then her face; indecision marring his youthful features. She smiled as the demons behind her tensed; waiting for him to attack.

Her eyes smiled at him, asking him to trust her to uphold her end of the bargain as much as she was trusting him to uphold his. Was this how Yusuke felt, all those years ago when he had placed blind faith in a demon he didn't know, praying that Hiei would pull the lever instead of watching the stone slab crush them all?

Hiei growled; he didn't trust anyone. Yet, if he wanted to get out of this alive… he had to trust this human. He had no doubts that the powerful inu-lord would do exactly what she had promised him. The bastard had tried to cripple him permanently; even if he had survived the encounter, with his leg shattered as it was he would have been easy pickings. Yet, her power had healed his wound… Whether he wanted to admit it or not… he had a debt to this human-girl.

He ignored the offered hand and stood; he stretched out his injured leg, testing its range of motion. The newly healed bones were tender; shooting pain up his leg when he put pressure on it. Still...

In a blur of speed, only a fraction of what he was normally capable of; Hiei caught first the wolf then the fox off guard.

Kagome blinked as the demon disappeared for a moment, only to reappear a few feet away, panting from exertion; both Kouga and Shippo were picking themselves off the floor, burn marks marring their cheeks.

"Satisfied?" Kagome asked, walking over to the fire apparition.

"Not even close..." he snarled.

Kagome stepped to his side, tucking her arm into his elbow; Hiei jerked his arm away, yet the stubborn woman would not budge.

"Walk with me, Hiei," she said, politely yet firmly, "I'll escort you to your room…"

They started back towards the cave they had come from; every time he stepped with his right leg… Kagome compensated, taking the brunt of the weight off his sore leg. He tensed as the wolf and fox fell into step with them… everything in him wanted to rip off their heads and dance in their entrails… yet, he found himself being moved past them, as girl led him out of the cavern.

He breathed in a deep breath of the frigid Makai air as they stepped out into the fading light. Again, his instincts wanted to leap away; to disappear into the forests until he could find a nice place to hole up and rest. Yet, the scent of lavender that surrounded him and the gentle warmth at his side reminded him of his debt. What little honor he had left wouldn't allow him to ignore that.

True to her word; Kagome escorted him up to the castle, only leaving his side when they were safe behind closed doors. He sat stiffly on the edge of the bed; his leg aching from the strain of over working healing bones.

"I've called down for food to be brought up to us," Kagome said, "Also; one of the servants should be up soon with some new clothes. There's a bathroom through that door if you would like to shower before food arrives."

Hiei growled, "And what do I have to swear in order to get that?" he snapped, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Kagome blinked at him.

"Nothing," she replied, for a moment hurt flashed across her face, "I just thought you might want to get the blood off of you. But if you rather not…"

She left the sentence hanging, Hiei glared at her for a moment; than swearing, he stormed into the room she had indicated and slammed the door.

Damn infuriating human. Mukuro would laugh her ass off if she could see him in such a predicament. He was half tempted to just sit there and wait until they broke the door down.

_Now you're just being childish_, his inner demon stated; Hiei glared at the offending shower. True, he was filthy and covered in blood… not that he particularly cared… But in this case it was HIS blood rather than someone else's… he loathed the scent of his own blood. It meant someone had managed to injure him; they were just that little bit faster… stronger… Better.

With a snarl, Hiei stripped off his tattered clothing and stepped into the shower. The hiss of the water did little to disguise the soft tapping from the door a few moments later.

"What?" he snarled, glaring at a young female dog demon that entered the room; the pup bowed low, towels and clothing held out as if they were some sort of shield against his ire.

"Your towels and clothing, sir," she said softly, her head still bowed. Hiei blinked; surprised at the submissive behavior.

"Put it there," he snapped. Obediently the girl did as she was told.

"Will there be anything else, Master Hiei?" the girl said, this time looking at him. Golden eyes regarded him silently; waiting for a response. Hiei, however, was still hung up on her words.

Master Hiei? What the hell?

"My lord?" the girl asked, when it became apparent that he wasn't going to respond.

"No…" he replied, "That's all."

"As you wish," she replied, "Your food should be ready shortly, my lord. I bid you good evening."

With that, she disappeared as silently as she had entered. Hiei leaned back and closed the shower; the hot spray stung the few wounds he still had.

Master? My lord?

What the bloody hell?

It wasn't like he was at Mukuro's; there he was the heir. Here he was a prisoner… why in the hell were they treating him with any sort of respect?

It didn't make any sense. Then again, nothing about the last week made any sort of bloody sense.

He scrubbed the last bit of blood and sweat off his skin and hair; then climbed out of the shower, flicking off the water as he went.

He dried himself quickly; already he could smell the delicious scent of food. His stomach growled, reminding him that he hadn't eaten anything substantial in nearly a week.

He shook out the clothes; surprised to find a simple pair of pants and a plain sleeve-less tunic. He pulled his boots back on. Now, all he needed was his katana and he'd be happy. Er…. Happier.

Nothing about this situation made him happy.

Hiei felt his eyes widen as he stepped out of the bathroom; several trays of food had been spread out across a table. He felt his mouth water…

He had half been expecting some sort of sandwich-type creature like Kurama's mother always insisted on making. This, however, was a feast fit for…a guest of honor, not a… well, not a prisoner.

"What is this?" he demanded, eyeing the food suspiciously.

One dark brow arched up; chocolate eyes regarded him with barely veiled mirth.

"You aren't hungry?" she asked, she already had a plate and was reaching for some sort of roast beast sitting in front of her. Kagome had learned early on; when dining with demons… don't ask where the food came from. As long as it smelled good and looked editable…it was better not to ask.

Silence met her question; yet even her dull human ears could detect the faint rumble of her guest's stomach.

Instead of answering; Kagome matched his silence with her own. Two could play that game after all.

Finally, seeing as she wasn't going to answer; Hiei sat and began to eat. They ate in silence for a while; before Kagome sat back and regarded the demon across from her. While he showered, she had heard all manner of gossip about the fiery demon. Some whispered his name; cursing him as both a Forbidden Child and an agent of Reiki. Others; spoke about his viciousness in battle. Still more; whispered about his connection with the powerful demon known as Mukuro, one of the three ex-demon kings. The halls were filled with gossip about him… yet always in the softest of whispers. The halls practically stank with fear even her dull human senses could detect.

"With the way everyone is acting," Kagome said, breaking the silence, "the servants talk about you like you are some sort of boogie-man."

"A what?" Hiei snapped, unsure if he was being insulted. What the hell was a boogie-man?

Kagome laughed, "A creature that embodies fear," she explained, "normally lurks under beds and in closets…"

Hiei blinked, "I do not hide under beds or in closets…" he replied dryly, positive that she was now making fun of him.

Kagome smirked at the sudden mental image of this fierce, but small, demon lurking under a bed or leaping out of a closet.

"Any way," Kagome said, trying not to laugh outright, "the point is, you seem to have quite a fiercesome reputation."

Hiei snorted, "Your point?"

"A simple observation," she replied, as she popped another piece of meat into her mouth. She may not know exactly what it was; but it sure was good, almost like roast beef. She took another piece and eyed it for a moment; it really resembled the texture of chicken rather than beef…

"I have no idea what this is," she said, randomly, "Probably don't want to know… but whatever it is, it sure is good."

Hiei blinked at the girl, as she took another bite of a dark colored meat. He was half tempted to tell her what it was; just for the sake of seeing the expression on her face. Yet, that would be far too close to making actual conversation…

"Are you just going to sit there and play with your food," Hiei snipped instead, "Or are you going to ask your questions?"

Kagome popped the strange meat into her mouth again, delighting in the taste. Heavens knew it probably came from creepy animal or bug…and she should probably be concerned about eating anything from a realm inhabited completely by demons… but what the hell… you only live once, and she was fairly certain that Sesshomaru and Shippo wouldn't let the staff serve her anything that would kill her.

"Well, I thought I'd be polite and let you eat before getting down to the nitty-gritty," she replied, calmly, ignoring his attitude.

Hiei blinked; the nitty what? He was beginning to wonder what language this human spoke…

Kagome laughed at the confusion clearly written all over the demons face; so reminicent of InuYasha, Sango and Miroku.

"I'm sorry," she said, giving him a smile tinged with sadness, "Several very old friends use to give me the exact same look; I forget that most demons don't understand human slang."

"In any case," Kagome continued, "what I meant was, if you're ready we can get down to business. I wanted to make sure you had eaten and were comfortable before we talked."

Hiei snorted; leaning back in his chair, "I can't leave until this ridiculous bargain is fulfilled. Get on with it."

Kagome smiled, "Alright," she said, her eyes once again turning steely, "What do you know of the Shikon no Tama, Hiei?"

The fire demon shrugged, "it's an ancient artifact," he replied after a moment, "Though until recently I thought it had been lost. I remember hearing about it when I was young; but didn't pay much attention to the details. It didn't interest me then any more than it interests me now."

"Just as well," she replied. "Did you know your friend was going to attempt to steal it?"

"She is NOT my friend," Hiei snapped, "That idiot woman has been a thorn in my side for years…and when I finally get rid of her; she goes and does some stupid thing like this."

Kagome blinked, "Yet you defended her in the clearing…"

"I didn't defend her..." he snapped, "I was there for… Someone else…"

"Ah…" she said, a small smile curving her lips even as her heart did an odd flip flop of disappointment. Apparently there was some truth in Kazuma's ramblings the other day; there was something going on between Hiei and Kurama.

"You were there for Kurama…" she stated. Only a slight flicker in those glowing ruby orbs gave away any indication that her words had startled him. "So why help the woman?"

"I didn't," he replied stonily, "I was assisting Kurama, helping her was simply a by-product. If I killed her, I'll be in debt to Koenma again and I have no desire to be anywhere near that brat again."

"Koenma?" she said, latching on to the name, "And that is?"

Hiei rolled his eyes, "Prince of the Spirit World, fool. He rules Reiki; or whatever you would like to call that sad attempt he is making."

"And her connection to him would be?"

For a moment Hiei hesitated; his life as a thief and a bandit taught him the fate that awaited snitches. Yet, the buying and selling of information was a common practice. If the Western Lands wanted to take their pound of flesh from Reiki… who was he to try and stop them? Let them kill the bastard; he would sit and watch, enjoying the bloodshed. The little brat deserved it.

"She works for him," he said finally, "The woman's name is Boton. She is one of his ferry girls; chief ferry girl in fact. She's many things, but I have to agree with that idiot detective… she's not a thief. If she was sent to acquire something that this Land possessed; she couldn't have done it without a direct order being handed down by Koenma himself."

Kagome rubbed her temples; "Basically you're saying that for whatever reason… Reiki… is after the jewel?"

She stood, swearing a blue streak that impressed Hiei with its creativity; he would never have thought of such a possible combination. Was such a thing even physically possible?

She stalked back over to her chair and gave him a hard look; "Why did you follow us?"

Hiei shrugged, "I was intrigued."

"Did you intend on taking the jewel?" she asked again. Hiei shrugged,

"I refuse to allow such an artifact to fall into Reiki's hands," Hiei stated, giving her a cold look. Kagome glared at him.

They glared at one another, garnet clashed with chocolate in a battle of wills; their energy swirled and clashed, cold fiery black against brilliant pure blue.

"If you are after the jewel, demon," Kagome said, her voice cold, "I will not hesitate to kill you."

"You can try," Hiei replied, "I've already stated I have no interest in your little trinket outside of making sure that bastard Koenma doesn't get it. I will not repeat myself again."

"And your friends?" she asked. "If Kurama and Yusuke are sent after the jewel, will you still be neutral? Or will you assist your friends."

"I don't have friends, girl," he growled, they were now practically growling in each other's face.

Kagome straightened; her power dying as she returned to her seat and regarded Hiei solemnly. Her abrupt ending of their battle caught the demon off guard. He glared at her.

"I'm serious, Hiei," she said, "Will Koenma send Yusuke and Kurama after the jewel? Will you assist them?"

Hiei crossed his arms; he was half tempted to bait her by saying yes. Still, the maliciousness of that jewel still lingered in his mind; it had possessed that idiot woman easily… causing her to act completely out of character. What would that jewel do if it came into contact with either Yusuke or Kurama…or his own skin? Out of the three; Yusuke was the one with the brightest and less tarnished soul… yet his brief possession by Raizen had nearly destroyed the hybrid. They all had enough stain on their souls…

"That jewel," he said after a moment, "Does it always react like it did to Boton? Does it always try and possess whoever holds it?"

Kagome shook her head, "Yes and no," she replied. "The jewel was created during a battle between a powerful miko and a powerful demon. The two were more or less sealed within the jewel; their spirits constantly in battle. It calls to the darker part of anyone; even humans. However, demons are particularly susceptible to its call since they are by their very nature dark and malevolent. However, I have noticed that the stronger the demon; the easier they can ignore the call. Like yourself, for instance, you are powerful enough in your own right that you do not heed the jewels promises. Normally the jewel simply amplifies the demons own strength…. I've never seen it possess anyone like it did your fri… I mean, the ferry girl."

Kagome paused for a moment, "Then again," she said; "No one other than Sesshomaru and his brother InuYasha had possession of the jewel after Naraku was killed. Naraku was an evil hanyo that existed several centuries ago. His possession of the jewel gave him untold power and tainted it to black. He held it so long; that I'm guessing a bit of his essence was trapped within the jewel. After the final battle, without a powerful miko to purify the jewel…. The taint grew worse and worse. When the ferry girl took it; the evil within must have over whelmed her. Naraku always had a thing for innocents; he enjoyed corrupting them."

Hiei remained silent for a moment; "So in other words you don't know…" he stated.

Kagome shrugged, "The jewel is a curse; a curse on its guardian and on anyone who dares possess it. Even powerful demons are at risk of succumbing to its whispers if they are around it too long. Now that it has Naraku's taint… no, I'm not sure if he would attempt to possess anyone holding it again."

"I remember hearing rumors about the demon Naraku," Hiei said, "Again, I wasn't concerned with the jewel at the time, and some pathetic hanyo didn't even garner my attention. However, that was centuries ago. In the clearing, the fox said they had been guarding the jewel in your stead. How is that possible?"

Kagome tapped her nails on the arm of her chair for a moment as she debated on what to tell this demon. Both Shippo and Kouga cautioned her against trusting him. He was after all, a murderous cut-throat and was associated with Reiki. Still, her instincts told her that this demon could be a valuable ally.

"That is a very long story," she said. Hiei's gaze sharpened.

"I have time."

"Before I answer," She said, "One more question…" A raised brow was all she got in response. "Do you have any idea why, Koenma would want the jewel? Surly the Ruler of Reiki wouldn't need it."

Hiei shrugged, "With him there is no telling," He replied, "He could merely feel the need to collect the jewel to put it in the vault along with the other powerful artifacts; though… it would be exceedingly foolish, even for him, to risk possible war with the Western Lands simply to stick the jewel in the vault."

"So, you think he means to use it in some way?" a cold voice from the door stated. Both Kagome and Hiei's heads whipped around at the newcomers voice. Hiei leapt to his feet with a silent snarl; his hand going to the sword that was no longer at his side.

Cold golden eyes regarded him with a hint of amusement. Kagome rolled her eyes; she loved Sesshomaru like a brother…. But even after five hundred years…. He was still an arrogant prick.

"Leave him be," she admonished the older demon, moving over take his arm and gently guide him to her side of the table. Hiei watched the inu-daiyoukai like one might watch a snake; unsure when the beast would strike, yet sure that it was only a matter of time.

"I do not remember releasing him from his imprisonment," Sesshomaru stated, turning a cool look on Kagome. Kagome ignored his disapproval;

"You didn't," she said, "I did. And as the Guardian of the Shikon no Tama, I should have been informed that you had captured someone of interest."

"You think to rule this land now, miko?" Sesshomaru said, his voice taking on a quiet, dangerous edge. Hiei glanced at the large window; estimating the trajectory. If the inu-lord and the girl took to fighting… he was going to make a run for it.

Kagome cut him an equally annoyed look; "Don't patronize me Sesshomaru. I am not the child you knew five hundred years ago. I will not be bullied. The jewel has been and always will be my responsibility. It would have remained in MY care had a certain someone not decided to attempt to take my fate into his own hands. Now that this blasted jewel has been returned to me; I am its guardian. Fate will not be denied in this. As such, I will not allow anyone else to make decisions for me regarding the jewel. There is no discussion on this fact Sesshomaru."

In that moment, Hiei suddenly understood why the demons of this secluded tribe held this human in such high regard. She stood, regarding the powerful inu-lord with confidence and without fear. Hers was not the cocky boasting of a child; but rather the confident strength of a warrior, sure in their purpose and ability. Unwavering.

Hiei could almost see a resemblance between the demon and young human; both carrying the mantle of power about them. They both possessed the quiet strength of a mountain; undaunted by the howling wind, or shaking earth, solid, and unmoving in their purpose.

A soft noise at the door had both parties glaring at the intruder. The fox froze under the combined might of nearly identical cold, hard stares.

"Bad timing…" the wolf whispered from behind him. Hiei repressed a smirk; half hoping either the demon lord or the miko would kill the two idiots.

Unfortunately, blood didn't fly and heads didn't roll. Hiei sighed in disappointment as both Kagome and Sesshomaru straightened.

"Has he provided any useful information?" Sesshomaru asked; nothing further was said about their contest of wills.

"Yes…" Kagome stated with a smirk, "Come sit, there's plenty left over. The servant's got a little carried away."

Hiei was stunned when the three demons silently sat around the table and began eating. Each gave him an once-over; then turned their attention to Kagome as she spoke.

"So the blue-haired thief works for Reiki?" Shippo asked, "Damn…she was cute too."

Hiei barely contained his snort; Boton? Cute? Perhaps if one preferred bubble gum and rainbows. He shook his head.

"Hiei," Kagome said after a moment, "What would you say to an alliance..."

Hiei snorted, "I don't do alliances."

"Bullshit," Kouga growled, "You're in an alliance with Mukuro."

Hiei glared at the wolf, once again questioning why he hadn't killed the offending canine yet;

"I'm her heir, you idiot," he stated, "There's a difference."

"And the fox avatar?" Shippo snapped, "Or the human hybrid?"

Hiei growled.

"ENOUGH!" Kagome snapped, coming to her feet and glaring at the two demons. Both the wolf and fox seemed to shrink into themselves.

"Shippo, Kouga I appreciate the help," Kagome said, "But I am sure that you have other duties you need to be tending too….."

"Indeed," Sesshomaru stated, "I want the patrols doubled on the off chance that the Reiki does make another attempt at the jewel. Anyone who passes the border is suspect."

Both demons rose and bowed to the elder demon and left without another word. Hiei raised an eyebrow again, surprised; he hadn't realized that the human had the power to dismiss Lord Sesshomaru's two generals.

"As you were saying, miko," Sesshomaru prompted. Kagome glanced at him and smiled; then looked back at Hiei.

"Yes," she said, "As I was saying, we both want the same thing; to keep the jewel out of Reiki hands. By your own words, it doesn't make sense for Koenma to start a war with the Western Lands. I'm not asking you to betray your fri…er…partners. From the way you speak of Koenma; I'm assuming it's safe to say there is no love lost between you two?"

Hiei gave her a withering glare;

"I'll take that as a resounding 'NO'," she said, unaffected; "We are on the same side… all I'm asking is for you to share a little information with me."

Hiei crossed his arms and studied the couple across from him. Sesshomaru watched him; golden eyes unblinking… Kagome on the other hand wasn't as stoic. He could see the plea in her eyes; from their point of view it was understandable. They needed someone who could get into Reiki and find out what was going on. Though Koenma trusted him about as far as he could throw Hiei… he did trust Kurama and Yusuke; and he trusted that they would keep Hiei in line."

"This is outside our original agreement, woman," Hiei said, "So, what's in it for me?"

"What do you want?" she asked. Hiei smirked.

**Author Note: Yay another chapter down. This fic is now over 60 pages long o.O Wow. LOL. Next chapter we will hopefully see them returning to the human realm. Btw... need some input... What do you think Hiei should demand in exchange for his help? Suggestions? I hope ya'll enjoyed this chapter. As always REVIEW!**


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own IY or YYH

Lies By Omission

Chapter 8

Kurama looked down at the seemingly innocent looking book in his hand then back up to his colleague. Kuwabara watched him silently; his dark blue eyes oddly serious. Surly the man couldn't really believe what he was saying…?

"Man, Shizuru must've hit you pretty damn hard the other day," Yusuke scoffed, echoing Kurama's own thoughts; "'Cause obviously your brain is scrambled."

Kuwabara glared at his best friend; "So says the guy who died twice and came back as a demon," the taller man snapped. He looked back at Kurama; "Why is this such a hard thing for you to consider?" he asked, "It's not like we haven't all experienced stranger things. Hell, I'm currently standing in the presence of a legendary spirit fox inhabiting a human body. What's not weird about that?"

Kurama and Yusuke glanced at one another; "It's not that we think the concept is not possible…" Kurama hedged. "Rather, improbable."

"C'mon dude," Yusuke laughed, "We're talking about that pretty little bookworm that's been studying with Kurama? She doesn't look like she could survive a cold much less traveling back in time and battling demons."

"Yusuke has a point," Kurama agreed, "I'll admit, Kagome is an interesting woman, but I simply can't envision her fighting demons."

Kuwabara clenched his jaw and crossed his arms; "You don't think so? This is the same Kagome that totally flattened Yusuke and left a burn mark on his cheek that STILL hasn't gone away."

Kurama glanced at the Ex-Spirit Detective, who was absently rubbing the dark, discolored mark on his cheek.

"Alright," Kurama consented, "I agree, Yusuke's injury is a bit odd…"

Kuwabara growled, "Oh for the love of…" he snatched the book away from the red head, "Never mind," he snapped, "Just, forget I even said anything…"

Then to their surprise; Kuwabara stomped off. He hadn't expected much out of Yusuke; that idiot wouldn't believe anything until it came up and slugged him in the jaw... multiple times apparently.

But, Kurama was supposed to be the smart one; was it really so hard to even PRETEND for just a moment that his little girlfriend could possibly be MORE than what she appeared?

Jeez, he would think that a guy who was really a demon fox in disguise would be more inclined to look deeper into a person. Then again, for all that Kurama was a brilliant strategist; he was still a kitsune, and from what Kuwabara had read… They tended to be vane, cocky creatures. Heaven forbid that he, the Great Kazuma Kuwabara, figure something out before the brilliant Kurama.

He snorted; _stupid demons… think they know everything…_

Kagome took in a deep breath of polluted Tokyo air…. _Ahhhh…Home…_She thought, as she slid off of Kouga's back.

Shippo, Hiei and Kouga had all accompanied her back to the Human World. Now, she stood just outside of her family shrine; she could clearly see her Mother sweeping the house steps. It was early, dawn was barely cresting the horizon; she smiled as she felt the familiar aura of her home settle around her shoulders.

"Come on," she said, "I'll introduce you guys…. My brother has been dying to meet some of my old friends."

Hiei snorted, he had no desire to be part of some idiotic human welcome home celebration. Kagome turned to him,

"I know this isn't your type of thing," she told him, "So if you'd like to leave…."

He was gone before she finished the sentence.

"Rude little bastard," Shippo growled; Kouga's deep throaty growl rumbled in agreement. Kagome waved it off;

"Hiei just doesn't do warm and fuzzy guys," she said, "That's kinda like expecting Sesshomaru to attend a Christmas party or something. It just doesn't fit."

"True," Kouga agreed, as he effortlessly changed into his human appearance, "Ol' fluff-butt is about as warm and fuzzy as a glacier."

Kagome laughed, "Double dog dare you to actually say that to him…."

"You trying to get me killed, Kags?" Kouga demanded in mock panic.

Souta sighed as he came out to tell his mother that tea was ready; it had been over a week since his mother or Souta had seen or heard from Kagome and after Kuwabara's visit they all had begun to worry a little.

As he turned to follow his mother inside; something prickled his senses… He glanced up, past the Tree of Ages, past the Bone Eaters well; and towards the far edge of the shrine. There the shrine grounds backed up against the forest edge. He tensed as he saw movement within the shadows; was there someone skulking around the grounds again?

It wouldn't be the first time it had happened. The peaceful aura of their shrine drew all sorts; and some refused to leave willingly.

Three shadows seemed to detach themselves from the trees and move into the dim light; Souta felt his jaw drop and the breath leave his lungs.

Kagome strode forward, looking regal in the dark red fur cloak that was draped around her shoulders. His sister was flanked by two men; who, even to Souta, seemed too perfectly flawless to be real. Souta was secure enough in himself to admit that both Kagome's escorts were probably the prettiest men he had ever seen.

"KAGOME!" He yelled, running toward her. Her face split in a huge smile and she ran a few steps toward him. He wrapped his arms around his sister, lifting her off the ground and spinning them in a circle.

"Thank Kami you're alright!" He said, as he set her back in the ground. He held her at arms-length and looked her over; "You are alright…right?"

Kagome laughed, "Of course I am," she said, "Shippo and Kouga wouldn't let anything happen to me."

Souta looked at the two men…demons….behind her. Kouga was instantly recognizable; the wolf demon hadn't changed much from Kagome's description of him during her travels. He seemed taller than what Kagome had described; his black hair was still pulled back in a high tail, and he still wore his furs. The other, Shippo, had obviously aged. His sister's description of Shippo and her sketches of the young kit had been the most detailed; he knew that his loss had hurt Kagome more than anyone's.

"I guess the big guy was right," Souta said softly, "they did come for you…dang….I never thought I'd actually get to meet you guys one day."

Shippo and Kouga grinned, "Well we couldn't very well just let Kags hike back by herself…" Kouga replied.

"What do you mean 'the big guy'?" Kagome asked, her dark eyes becoming sharp.

"Kuwa…something or another…" Souta said. "Real tall guy, red hair, goofy as all hell."

"Kuwabara?"

"Yea that's him!"

"Kazuma was here?" she asked, her eyes narrowing. "Why?"

Souta shrugged, "Said he happened upon the shrine while walking,' he said off hand, "C'mon, Mom has been worried. I'll tell you about his visit after breakfast."

Kagome silently followed her brother, Shippo and Kouga falling into step behind her. As expected, her mother reacted much like she did back when Kagome had been traveling in the feudal era. The older Higurashi gathered her daughter up into a big hug and just held her for several long moments.

"Mom…" Kagome said softly, rubbing her mother's back in small soothing circles, "I'm alright. I was safer where I was then I have ever been at the apartment. It wasn't like before. I was safe…."

"We'd never let anything hurt Kagome, Mrs. Higurashi," Shippo said, trying to sooth the worry he saw in her mother's face. Kagome had spoken of her mother often and very fondly; Shippo had long ago started to view this woman has his surrogate grandmother just as Kagome was his surrogate mother.

As warm dark eyes focused on him; Shippo's stomach did a nervous flip-flop; would she like him? Or would she hate him because he was a demon? He so wanted her to like him. The Thunder Brothers had murdered all of his clan; the only family he had were Sesshomaru, Kouga…and Kagome.

"I'm sorry," Mrs. Higurashi said, releasing her daughter, "I didn't realize we had guests…"

"Mom…Let me introduce Kouga; leader of the Wolf tribe," Kagome paused as the dark haired, blue eyed youth gave her mother a brilliant smile, a small bow and placed a caste kiss on her hand.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet Kagome's mother," he said, "She speaks so fondly of her family."

"Oh my…" Mrs. Higurashi blushed slightly. Beside her Kagome laughed and shook her head.

"And this momma," Kagome said, indicating the second youth with bright coppery hair and luminous green eyes, "This is Shippo…"

It took Mrs. Higurashi a moment to place the name of her daughter's friend; when she did, her eyes grew wide.

"My goodness," she said, looking at her daughter in shock, "The little fox kit you adopted? That Shippo?"

Kagome grinned, "The very same."

"It's good to finally get to meet you…" the youth said with a hesitant smile; nervousness practically poured off the boy. Mrs. Higurashi smiled;

"It is good to meet you too... Grandson," she said, pulling the startled young man into a hug, "You are welcome in this house. Consider this home…"

Shippo was shocked as the elder woman pulled him into a hug; after a moment though, he relaxed and returned the woman's hug. He closed his eyes as he felt them begin to burn.

Kagome smiled, her eyes tearing up as she watched her mother and adoptive son. To her left, Kouga moved to stand next to her. He too watched the heart-warming scene without his usual rancid humor. He knew how much this moment meant to his friend and brother. The fox would never admit it openly; but he had been agonizing over the Higurashi family's acceptance of him since Sesshomaru had told him he would be allowed to accompany Kagome home.

Kouga glanced at the young woman beside him; she was watching the scene with tears in her eyes. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and tucked her against his side; instantly her arm came up to wrap around his waist. It was as natural as breathing. For too long their little family had been fractured; now, after five centuries it was whole again, and he would be damned if he allowed anything to ruin the little happiness his family had carved out for themselves.

Breakfast took considerably longer than usual to finish as Mrs. Higurashi and Souta, in particular, demanded to know everything that had happened up into the present. Shippo and Kouga delighted in telling them; heavily editing some of the events, since they were not appropriate to be discussing over the breakfast table.

Much like Kagome had predicted before their arrival; her Grandfather plastered sutras across their faces. Neither of the demons reacted to the assault other than to get the older human droll stares. Only a slight eye twitch from Kouga gave away his irritation.

"And on that wonderful note," Kouga growled, pulling the offending paper off his face, "I think it's time I return. Sesshomaru has ordered a special mirror to be placed on the shine to assist in traveling between here and the Makai. It will act like a portal; allowing us to pass back and forth with ease, and it won't draw unwanted attention like crossing the Barrier would. Sesshomaru has been using this method for centuries in order to effectively govern the Western Lands and run his corporation in the human world."

"Wonderful," Kagome said, "That means I can visit the castle and village more often?"

"Exactly. I'll be back in a few days to install it and show you how to operate the mirror once it's finished." He said, "So until then, be careful. Stick with Shippo. Now that the jewel has been 'found' again; who knows what sort of nastiness will come bubbling out of the wood work."

"We'll be careful," Kagome said, giving him a hug. Then, with a nod at Shippo; Kouga leapt off the porch, his forms flowing from one to another. When his feet hit the ground; the massive black wolf looked back at them with Kouga's electric blue eyes, then bound off into the shadows of the trees.

"Wow…" Souta breathed from behind them, "That was wicked."

Kagome laughed, "I'll make sure to tell him that you think so." She replied. They walked back inside and flopped onto the couch; "So," she said, "Tell me what Kazuma wanted…."

It was well after noon before Kagome and Shippo left the shrine to head to her apartment. Once there, Kagome had to move all of her work papers off the coffee table and into her bedroom. The box of her journals from her travels and all the photos she took while in the feudal era also went into her room.

She had never intended on having a roommate and she rarely had company; so between college assignments and the notes for her books, her apartment was in a constant state of organized chaos.

"I guess, we're going to have to look for a bigger apartment," Kagome said with a laugh, "this one simply isn't big enough for two people."

Shippo smiled sadly, "I didn't mean to disrupt your life…" he said, "If it would be easier for you, I can always get my own apartment."

Kagome smiled at him, "Don't be ridiculous," she replied, waving away his words, "It would do me some good to have someone else around. I have a bad habit of getting wrapped up in my work and I forget to do basic things like…you know…eating."

"So how 'bout we go into town, I need some groceries," Kagome said, "plus need to let my Sensei's know I'm alive and well. Now that my phone is working again; I've got a bazillion voicemails, most of them from those two."

"Sounds good to me," Shippo replied.

Kuwabara starred at the sidewalk as he walked, sighing in irritation. Of all the times he wished his friends would take him seriously; now was it. Boton had yet to show any improvement; in fact, Yukina believed that the 'dark oily spot' she sensed within their friend had actually gotten larger. Yet, neither Kurama nor Yusuke wanted to even consider the idea that Kagome might be able to help them.

Despite the fact that she freaking RODE off on the back of a giant demon wolf, obviously knew exactly what the stupid black pearl was, AND was greeted by the red kitsune like an old friend…. For some reason his team mates were refusing to even consider the idea.

Perhaps he shouldn't have told them about the book; even he was still having problems believing everything within the novel. Maybe if he had just mentioned that Kagome might be able to help?

Kuwabara glanced up as a drop of water hit his nose; he glanced skyward. The clouds hung low and gray. He sighed again;it just figured he'd get caught in the rain too.

Today was just going to hell in a hand basket.

"Really Shippo," a voice off to his right laughed, "A little water won't kill you. It's not like you're going to melt!"

"You never know!" another voice, male, replied; "Besides, rain makes me smell like a wet dog."

Kuwabara glanced around; what an odd conversation.

The first voice laughed, "Well, you are a fox, hun," it said, "It would only be worse if you were Kouga. Could you imagine how he would smell with all that fur?"

"Ugh….don't remind me…"

Kuwabara felt his eyes widen; there was no freaking way. He searched the crowded streets; now filled with umbrellas of ever shape and size. Dammit, he couldn't see a thing…

"Kazuma?" the soft familiar voice, made him whirl around. There, alive, unharmed, and looking happier than he had ever seen her; stood Kagome.

Kagome had been surprised to see her tall friend standing on the street corner, desperately looking around at the people passing by. His very aura snapped with sudden anxiety.

"KAGOME!" he cried, wrapping her in a bear hug, "Thank goodness you're alright. I was worried sick about you!"

There was an annoyed snort behind her, "Honestly," the man behind her said, "As if I would let anything happen to my mother. Sheesh…."

Kuwabara carefully placed Kagome back on her feet and starred at the ginger-haired man behind her. Forest green eyes regarded him with mild amusement tinged with annoyance. It was the same red kitsune from the clearing; only now instead of armor, he wore normal human clothes. In fact, he looked completely human; even his copper hair had been toned down to a darker, more natural shade.

"Holy shit…." Kuwabara muttered glanced down at Kagome, "he really is your adopted son…"

Kagome quirked an eyebrow at him; "Of course," she replied, "You think I go wondering off with random stray men?"

Kuwabara smirked, "No, I guess not," he muttered, then looking back at her, "then is the rest of your book really too?"

Kagome pursed her lips and debated the merit of admitting the truth to the man. On one hand, technically Kazuma and his sister had gone out of their way to try and befriend her; on the other… they knew the blue-haired woman that had attempted to steal the jewel.

"What book?" Shippo asked, jarring Kagome out of her thought. She cringed; when her brother had told them about Kazuma's visit, Souta only mentioned that he gave the older man 'your book'. They never explained to the kitsune what that book was…

However, it seemed that not only had Souta given Kazuma a copy of her book, the ginger had read it and put two and two together.

Kuwabara pulled the novel out of the inside pocket of his jacket and handed it to the kitsune. The demon's green eyes widened as he flipped through it.

"You wrote about us?" he asked, surprised. Kagome blushed. He hadn't asked what she had been moving around when she cleaned off the coffee table; and, not knowing how her old friend would take the news of her work, she hadn't mentioned it yet.

"Yea…" she muttered, "My mom thought it would help me in the grieving process if I wrote about all of you. So I did. I started at the very beginning when I was pulled down the well and I wrote down everything I could remember. At some point I let my brother read some of the journals; since I had normally glossed over the dangerous parts of our travels. Souta had liked them so much; he shared a few with his friends…. When they liked them, the little brat sent them to a couple publishing housing; apparently the concept of a teenage girl falling through an ancient well into Feudal Japan, shattering a relic, befriending and fighting demons, all while trying to repair said jewel…were all really good selling points."

Shippo laughed softly as he flipped through the book pausing at the sketches of people he hadn't seen in over five centuries.

"That's why there were pictures scattered around the apartment?" he said, lightly touching a picture of the Priestess Kaede.

"Yea," she said, "I took a lot while I was there, now they're my visual references for the sketches."

He smiled at her, "Bet you never thought you'd be able to profit from our travels, huh?"

Kagome grinned, "Hell nah," she replied, "I figured if anyone ever found out outside of my family, I'd be thrown in an institute so fast it would make my head spine."

"Good things it's fiction then," he replied, giving her a wink and handed the small paperback back to Kuwabara. "And just so you know, I wanna read them all."

Kagome grinned, "If you insist..."

At some point during their conversation, the trio had started walking; Shippo held a large umbrella over both he and Kagome, while Kuwabara flicked the collar of his jacket up and got drenched.

"Souta mentioned that your blue haired friend was hurt," Kagome said, when the conversation seemed to lapse for a moment. Kuwabara nodded, the rain had long since washed the gel from his hair; now the orange mass hung in wet tendrils around his face.

"She's been in a coma since the incident," Kuwabara said, "Even our healer can't figure out what's wrong; and my Yukina is really good at healing. Between her and Kurama, they can normal handle just about any injury or illness…. But nothing seems to work." He sighed, "Yukina said that she could feel some 'dark and oily spot' in Boton that hadn't been there. She said that nothing she tried did anything; her energy just slide off of it. And now…now she thinks it's actually gotten bigger."

Kagome paused as she glanced sharply at Kuwabara; "You say it's growing?"

Kuwabara nodded, "She thinks so." He said, "Souta said you might be able to help. I was actually planning on heading toward your shrine this evening to see if you had come home yet. Do you think you could come and take a look?"

"You would trust us around your friend?" Kagome asked; Kuwabara shrugged.

"I like to think I've become a decent judge of character over the years," he replied, "And as far as I can tell you are a good person; even my sister thinks so. Despite what Yusuke says, in all reality the injuries Boton sustained weren't life threatening. She could have gotten most of them flying through the forest. Not to mention the fact remains that for whatever reason; Boton stole from you….or rather him. I don't approve of hurting girls…but I don't approve of stealing either."

Shippo snorted, "Kouga and I hadn't even gotten to her yet," he said, "she did all that damage when she crashed in the forest; though, had we caught her..."

He left the threat hanging in the air; Kuwabara glared at him.

"And now?" he demanded. The fox shrugged,

"We retrieved the jewel and as a bonus, found Kagome," he said, "So I'll overlook the fact that your friend stole from us. I don't make it a habit to hunt things that are weak. There's no sport in it."

Kuwabara snorted, "You sound like Hiei," he muttered absently, as he turned down the next street, heading back towards Genkai's temple. He didn't notice that his companions had stopped, or the look of disgust that suddenly crossed the fox's face.

The trio walked in silence for a while; all lost in their own thoughts. Finally Kuwabara paused at a set of stairs; Kagome and Shippo shared a look. The stairs seemed to go on forever; even longer than the steps to her family shrine.

Kuwabara glanced back at them and absently chewed on his lip.

"Is everything ok, Kazuma?" Kagome asked. The taller man glanced at her;

"It just occurred to me that while I think you can help Boton," he said, "Yusuke and Kurama are likely to take one look at you and your… son….and flip their shit." He sighed, "I don't suppose you can disguise your appearance at all could you?"

"I kinda left my bag of tricks at home," Kagome replied dryly. Shippo shook his head,

"I can mask our presence," Shippo said, "but your kitsune friend knows our scents. I may be able to fool his eyes... but not his nose. Fortunately the rain will probably help us in that area."

Suddenly his two companions disappeared from his senses. He could see them in front of him; yet, as far as his sixth sense went… he didn't get so much as a tingle. In fact, even though he KNEW they were there; his eyes wanted to pass over them...

"Remind me never to fuck with you," he muttered, rubbing his head, "Bastard could sneak up on me and kill me without anyone sensing him…. And I thought that blasted Dragon was creepy."

The trip up the stairs was uneventful; by the end Kagome was wishing that she had taken Sensei Chang up on those make up sparring sessions he had offered. It would have been the lesser of two evils. Who the hell needed this many steps?

Finally they made it to the top, Kagome paused a moment as she tried to breath the stitch out of her side. Neither Kazuma nor Shippo appeared winded in the slightest…. Stupid men.

"C'mon," Kuwabara said softly, careful to keep his voice low, less the sound carry to sensitive demon ears. "It looks like both Kurama and Yusuke are in the kitchen with Genkai."

He led them quickly through the house, the scent of Odin teasing their nose as they quickly made their way to Boton's room. Yukina knelt next to the reapers side; her head hung in defeat. She glanced up at Kuwabara's entrance.

"I'm glad you're back," she said softly, "She's getting worse Kazuma…and I can't do anything about it."

"Perhaps I can," Kagome said, moving into the room, Shippo close on her heels. The teal haired girl starred at them with wide ruby eyes. Familiar ruby eyes.

Where had she seen those eyes before?

Kagome shook the thought from her head; _later_, she told herself, she's figure it out later. Right now… Kazuma's friend needed help. Kagome could easily sense the darkness trying to take hold of the girl; she was resisting though, and resisting hard.

Still, she was weakening and losing ground.

Kuwabara couldn't help but tense, as Kagome knelt next to Boton's prone form. He could sense the guys moving around the kitchen; he knew it wouldn't be too much longer before they headed back to check on Boton.

Kagome closed her eyes, focusing…. She gently places her palm on Boton's chest, between her breasts, and directly over the dark smudge on the girl's aura. Her power rose around her in a small cyclone; clashing with the demonic auras.

Vaguely she could hear a shout, and the pounding of footsteps; then nothing mattered but the darkness wrapped around the girls soul. She knew what it was the moment she saw it; the dark, seething mass of evil… she would never forget the feel of that disgusting creatures aura...

Naraku was still trying to take hold of the girl. That vile hanyo was like a plague, a virus; spreading to anyone who had the misfortune of touching it. Like any viruses, the only way to be rid of it… was to burn it.

Vaguely Kagome heard someone screaming; and there was a hand clutching her wrist. Yet she didn't release her hold on the tiny bit of black miasma. She poured her power into the girl's body; flooding her with pale pure light. Distantly, she heard furious shouts and she could sense other demonic aura's...but she couldn't focus on them. This task required her complete focus.

The girl thrashed under her hand; trying to throw Kagome off. The priestess hung on; she felt a little guilty for causing the woman pain... but the cleansing process was a painful one... and the more difficult the cleansing... the more painful.

Once she was sure, that every single part of the girl had been washed in her power; and that there was no trace of the vile darkness anywhere, no corner it could be lurking in, she withdrew.

Kagome came fully aware a moment later and glanced around; Shippo was crouched in front of her, putting his body between her and the door. Kazuma too, stood between her and the door; both Kurama and Yusuke stood just inside said door, fury darkening their normally attractive features.

"What the hell?!" Yusuke snarled, "What the fuck are they doin' here, Kuwabara?!"

Pale eyes narrowed into annoyed slits; "She's helping," he replied, "So back off Urameshi."

"Helping?!" he snapped, "She's fucking killing her!"

"Kagome is a healer," Shippo snarled, "And a priestess. How dare you accuse her of such a thing!"

"Enough," Kagome's tired, quiet voice said, as she slowly came to her feet, swaying slightly as exhaustion gripped her; she gently touched Shippo's arm, "It's not worth it,"

Shippo looked down at the young woman beside him, the one person who meant the world to him; her eyes were dark with exhaustion and sadness. She didn't need to help the pretty thief; the fool deserved what she got… but Kagome, in her infinite goodness and understanding, had exhausted herself purifying the darkness that this fool had unwittingly invited into her body…

A low growl echoed through the room; Shippo glared at the two offending males… Kagome had been happy until they interrupted and started flinging accusations, mistrust and hostility… THEY had made his momma upset...

"No," Shippo growled, looking back at Kagome, "I will not stand by while they hurt you, Kagome. That foolish girl would be dead if it wasn't for you and yet here they stand acting like somehow YOU wronged THEM. That is NOT acceptable and they will apologize…"

"Or what," Yusuke snapped, stepping forward, "What's your punk ass gonna do?"

Shippo snarled, his eyes beginning to glow red with rage even as his face began to shift and lengthen. Yusuke grinned at the prospect of battle;

"Bring it," he snarled, his hair started to lengthen as he shifted to his true form.

A blur of black intercepted Yusuke before the young demon lord could touch the fox. Garnet eyes regarded Yusuke with mild distain; he refrained from smirking at the irritated snarl behind him, knowing that the fox had understood his subtle insult. For a demon to give someone their back, was a grave insult; it meant the individual didn't consider the other to be a threat…

Hiei could feel the fox seething under his now cool façade; the blade of his katana rested gently against the base of Yusuke's throat.

"What the hell," Yusuke growled, baring his teeth at the smaller demon and smacking away the blade. "You on their side now?"

"Use that brain in your skull for something OTHER than holding your ears apart, _detective_;" Hiei sneered, sheething his weapon. Garnet eyes flashed; "look with something other then your eyes. Despite her foolishness; the girl is alive...and healed."

Yusuke glanced sharply at Boton's prone form, then over to Yukina who knelt next to her. The korime's hands glowed for a moment as she checked over their friend. Kagome leaned tiredly against Shippo; watching the demoness intently. Had she missed anything?

"She did it," Yukina sad, coming out of her healing trance; her pale ruby eyes glowing with happiness. "Boton's going to live. The darkness is gone..."

Yusuke and Kurama glanced at each other; even as Kuwabara gave them a smug look. He knew Kagome could do it.

Yusuke glowered at the two strangers standing next to Kuwabara; so the idiot had been right, still didn't mean they were trust worthy...

"I didn't help her to earn your trust, Yusuke," Kagome said; a light blush stained Yusuke's cheeks as he belatedly realized he had spoken aloud.

"As much as the fox deserves a good beating," Hiei said, earning a growl from the fox behind him, "Even you have to admit that this entire incident is ...neglectful... even for Koenma."

Yusuke glanced at Kurama; silently asking the older demon his opinion. Kurama regarded the red fox in front of him. The demon stared back at him; emerald clashed with forest in a silent contest of wills... each searching for...something within the other. Though younger then himself; this Shippo was not young by demon standards. At five centuries he was well into his adulthood; his already formitable powers would only grow stronger with each year. He was not someone to under-estimate.

Then there was Kagome to consider; though he knew her to be human... she stood casually with the strange kitsune and apparently had somehow won over Hiei. A feat in and of itself. How was one human able to do that? Demons in general cared little for human; Hiei in particular could care less for the species. Then there was the energy that had called Yusuke and him from the kitchen; it had filled the room and rushed through the temple in pulsing waves. It had been, almost painful in it's purity. Not even Yusuke's or Kuwabara's energies, both abnormally strong for humans, had felt like hers.

Kurama sighed, his gaze sliding back to meet deep, dark chocolate. Kagome watched him silently; her eyes far older than any humans should be at her age. They were filled with a quiet wisdom he hadn't noticed before; how was it possible for one so young to seem so old?

As if sensing his inner turmoil; she offered him a small, sad smile as understanding filled her eyes. In a suddenly spark of understanding... he understood the sadness that filled her gaze; she expected him to side with Yusuke, to not believe them, despite Hiei's interference. She had come to heal Boton, fully expecting to be attacked at some point.

Kurama turned back to look at his old friend and partner. Hiei wasn't one to suffer fools; if they had somehow managed to convince the temperamental fire apparition...

As if sensing his thoughts; Hiei gave a small nod, his crimson gaze never wavering.

"Yusuke..." he said finally, glancing at the younger man, "let's hear them out. We haven't heard from Koenma in over a week. Hiei has a point; this is neglectful even for him. Obviously things are...not quite as they appear..."

Yusuke scowled and folded his arms across his chest; "fine," he growled, "what the hell, I've got time. but if I don't like what you have to say...I'm kicking your ass fuzzball."

Shippo bared his teeth in a feral smile; "You can try monkey-boy," he replied, "Better then you have tried and failed."

Again the two demons faced off; the air bristling with their hostility.

"That's enough, dimwit," An older woman said, smacking Yusuke upside the head, "There is food that needs to be finished. Go... we'll talk over dinner. Or can you not see that the young priestess is exhausted?"

"Priestess?" Yusuke mumbled, rubbing his head.

The old woman heaved an aggrevated sigh, "You really are a dimwit," she snapped, "Go! You go with him Kuwabara."

Reluctantly the two men left the room; Kagome and Shippo shared a puzzled look. Who was this woman?

Though her form was old and haggard; the woman's stance was steady and her pale eyes glowed with a strong spirit. She gave Kagome a small bow of respect;

"I am Genkai," she said, her voice raspy, "this is my temple. It is a pleasure to meet you priestess; and despite what the dimwit says, we are grateful for you saving Boton's life."

Kagome returned the show of respect; "I am honored to be welcomed in your house," she replied, "I am Kagome, and this is my son, Shippo."

Genkai smiled as the fox bowed, "Greetings Grandmother," he said.

From somewhere in the house, something crashed loudly to the floor. Genkai winced, her pale eyes flashing with ire as loud voices carried through the temple.

"Those dimwits can't do anything without supervision," she growled, then she looked back at Kagome, "Come, we'll check on tweedle-dee and tweedle-dum; then we will talk over dinner..."

**A/N: Sorry it took me so long. Summer has started and with it the Summer Reading Program with my library. So it'll take me longer to get chapters out. Plus I have a couple more ideas for other projects banging around in my head. I have chronic creative A.D.D. what can I say. LOL. In any case; I hope ya'll enjoy! And as always...please remember to REVIEW!**


	9. Chapter 9

I Do not own IY or YYH.

Lies By Omission

Chapter 9:

Kurama sat silently across from Kagome and the red kitsune called Shippo as she told her story. Ordinarily Kurama would disregard her story as the flights of fancy of an over active imagination; however…. In this particular case, it appeared he would have to reevaluate the woman he THOUGHT his lab-partner was.

Then there was this…. Shippo. The kitsune had surprised and bested him once already; the blow to his pride still stung, it only made matters worse that the other male was at least four or five centuries his junior. Yea… pride definitely bruised.

What was truly bothering him and he had yet to understand why; was the closeness Kagome had to the younger kitsune... The petite woman leaned against the demon with a comfort that she had never shown around Kurama; and this Shippo character's overly protective posture was one that most demons saved for their….mates.

Were they involved? He knew that in her tale, she had more or less taken on a motherly role to the young kit… but… a lot could change in five hundred years. Shippo was no longer a kit and Kagome was an attractive woman. Very attractive in fact….

How had he not noticed before?

Had he been so focused on pretending not to notice any of the women at school that he really HAD not noticed her? No, thinking back, he had noticed… she had intrigued him from the beginning with her apparent immunity to whatever mental defect ninety-eight percent of the female population seemed to suffer from. Back then, though, she seemed to be covered in a cloak of quiet sadness. It had dimmed her light; causing her to fade into the background.

Now… as he quietly studied her as she spoke; there still was nothing physically remarkable about her. She wasn't stunningly beautiful in the way some humans were nor did she possess the stark cold beauty of demons; rather, she possessed the classic 'girl next door' sort of prettiness.

Yet, even in her exhaustion she seemed to glow; she seemed to radiate calm acceptance and positivity.

As she told one part of her story, Kagome and her companion shared a look and smile; the look was so full of warmth and love….

The answer to his question was obvious; for the first time since meeting her acquaintance…. Kagome was happy; truly, honestly, happy.

Why? Because of the fox she was cuddled against?

The thought set his teeth on edge and he didn't have a clue why.

Kagome's happiness should not upset him; quite the opposite in fact, the knowledge that she had found someone to make her happy should have made him happy FOR her. So why the hell wasn't he?

Why did he have this strange urge to walk over and snatch her away from the other kitsune and knock the cocky little puissant in the jaw?

It didn't make one bit of sense. Kuwabara and Yusuke were the ones who reacted out of pure emotion; even Hiei was known to give in to his emotions. He, Kurama, was not. He was reknown for his calm, cool, level-headedness... He rarely reacted without careful thought...

And yet... here he was, the great Yoko Kurama, was desperatly trying to reign in the urge to throttle the younger fox.

"So you honestly expect us to believe that you traveled back in….time?" Yusuke demanded, leaning forward in his chair.

"I don't expect you to believe anything, Yusuke," Kagome replied, with a raised brow and a haughty expression. "I'm simply stating fact. It's your choice what you decide to believe or not to believe."

Yusuke groaned loudly; "dammit," he swore, dropping his head to the table, "That means…Kuwabara…was…."

He couldn't say it…. He just couldn't do it….

"Come on, Urameshi," Kuwabara said, "Don't be a puss…. Say it…."

"Ah hell," the ex-spirit detective muttered, "Do I have to?"

"Admit it…." Kuwabara urged, a manic light coming into his blue eyes.

"FINE," Yusuke snarled, "You were…." Then, sounding as if each syllable was being forcibly torn from his vocal chords, "Right….."

"BOOHYA!" Kuwabara yelled triumphantly, leaping into the air, "HAHAHA!"

Kagome and Shippo shared a puzzled look as Kuwabara began doing a strange sort of spastic victory dance around the kitchen; crowing at the top of his lungs. Meanwhile, both Yusuke and Kurama had their heads down. Kurama had begun massaging his temples; even as Yusuke jumped to his feet and slugged Kuwabara.

"There will be no living with him now," Kurama said softly.

"It's what you get for disregarding him so readily," Genkai said with a vicious smirk, "Perhaps now you all will start taking him more seriously."

"Doubtful," Hiei replied coolly from his place in the corner, "He may have been right once, but he's still an idiot."

"What did you say shorty!?" Kuwabara demanded.

Kagome watched Kuwabara and Hiei bicker with a small, sad smile on her face. Beside her, Shippo gave her gentle one-armed huge. Even he could see the similarities within this group to the one they had centuries ago. He knew that at that moment; his mother wasn't seeing the tall, red head, and his short dark haired companion… instead she was seeing a brash InuYasha hollering at a younger version of himself.

He wondered; was the word 'Sit' hovering on the tip of her tongue?

"Wishing for those subjugation beads right about now?" he asked, leaning in close to whisper into her ear. Kagome snickered and gave him a playful slap on the knee;

"Hush," she said, then, "But yes…actually…. "

He laughed along with her; causing everyone else to look at them.

"What?" Kuwabara asked, straightening from where he had sprawled across the floor in his latest attempt to attack his abnormally short friend.

"Yea, share the joke," Yusuke said. Kagome shook her head.

"It's not important," she replied, a small smile still on her lips.

"She's shared her story," Shippo said, effectively changing the topic, "Now it is only fair that you share yours."

Silence met his statement; a silence that stretched on far past the realm of comfortable.

"Oook…" Kagome said, rising to her feet in a single fluid motion that somehow seemed to convey her annoyance. "Come Shippo, it's getting late…"

Scowling, Shippo rose after his mother; as one they bowed low to Genkai, thanking her for the hospitality, then turned and left.

Genkai and Kuwabara both glared at the other three in the room; or rather, the other two, since Hiei seemed to have disappeared...again.

"You both are such dimwits," Genkai stated, coming to her feet. "That girl isn't your enemy."

Kuwabara silently followed the old psychic; his silence making a larger statement of his annoyance than words ever could.

"Do you think maybe we should have shone her a little trust?" Yusuke asked, "She did heal Boton after all…."

Beside him, Kurama sighed, "The story isn't ours to tell, Yusuke," He replied, "It's mostly yours. We are simply players, though; it would seem that they have somehow managed to win over even Hiei… "

"Yea, short stuff did have a point," Yusuke muttered, "There's something about this whole thing that just smells rancid. It doesn't make any bloody sense."

"I tend to agree…"

"Talk to Hiei tonight," Yusuke said, "See why he's thrown his lot in with them. For all we know, they could have blackmailed him. Tomorrow, if Boton is still improving… we'll talk to them."

It didn't take Kurama long to find his fiery partner; the smaller demon was sitting in his favorite tree over in the park. Lounging in the upper branches, Hiei appeared to be sound asleep; yet Kurama knew he was anything but…

"Hiei…" he called, "A word…"

"I wondered how long it would be before your curiosity got the better of you, fox," he replied, crimson eyes opening to look down haughtily upon him.

"You know why I'm here then," Kurama replied, settling himself upon a branch below Hiei's perch. The fire apparition snorted,

"Of course," he replied, "You and the detective are playing with fire by antagonizing her."

"You believe she is capable of harming us?"

Another snort, "I don't believe," Hiei replied, "I know. She is a Miko, fox. A powerful one."

Kurama blinked up at his friend, "Impossible… Mikos died out centuries ago."

"And yet…" Hiei smirked, "She exists."

"Still," Kurama said, "Her being a miko would not have swayed your loyalty."

"No," Hiei agreed, looking down at his cunning associate. "I never said she had my loyalty either."

"Yet you defended her…."

"I prevented a war that we couldn't possibly hope to win," Hiei said. "Last I checked, neither you nor the two idiots wanted war, correct?"

"Of course not…"

"You court war by antagonizing the miko," Hiei reiterated, "Koenma nearly started one by sending that idiot woman to steal that jewel."

"I think…perhaps you should tell me what happened while you were in Makai…" Kurama said. Hiei sighed, for someone so intelligent; Kurama could be such an idiot. However, the fox did need to be briefed on what Hiei had learned. The miko, though human and young, was power and had even more powerful allies. Hiei had no doubts that should something befall the young women and Reiki was at fault... The Western Lord would have no qualms about decimating them all for the insult upon the one he called 'Sister'.

* * *

The next day, Kagome and Shippo returned to the Shrine; Kouga would be returning that afternoon to install the transportation-mirror, and they needed to clear an area for him to work.

The manual labor kept Kagome's mind occupied and away from contemplating the annoyance, and odd sense of hurt, that Yusuke's and Kurama's silence the day before had caused. Annoyance was easiest to explain away… she had shared her story and they had withheld theirs… She wanted to stomp her feet and SIT both of them into the ground; all the while snarling about how that 'wasn't fair'.

Only years of practice had held her tongue; after all… when was life EVER 'fair'?

She knew that first hand; yet, it didn't prevent her from believing in the concept of fair play.

As for the sense of hurt she felt; she didn't really understand. Logically she understood why they were reluctant to share their own tales with her; after all, they hadn't known each other long. In fact, outside of class, Kagome and Kurama rarely socialized and she had only met Yusuke the one time...and that one time she had punched him and burned him with her powers.

In all reality, though a lot had happened in such a short time; she had only been associated with Kurama for a month or so. Certainly that was not enough time to become such bosom-buddies that they would want to share their inner most secrets with her.

Still…. The idea that they… or more specifically Kurama…. Didn't trust her…. It hurt her feelings.

How silly was that?

To get hurt feelings because a guy she barely knew didn't trust her?

Kagome shook her head at her own foolishness as she tossed another branch onto the bonfire Shippo had created.

"You ok?" Shippo asked; his copper hair pulled back into a partial tail at the back of his head. The style seemed to emphasize the sharp planes of his face; a few locks of shimmery copper escaped their confines, and fell across his face.

"Yea," she replied, gently brushing the fine locks from his eyes, "Just laughing at myself."

Shippo shook his head, "Don't let those idiots get to you," he said, "They're just…."

He paused as he searched for an appropriate word to describe the Detective and the Kitsune they had spoken to the day before. Unfortunately, he was coming up with a blank…. He could think of plenty of descriptive words… but none he wished to speak in front of the woman he considered his mother.

"Well?" she asked, as he went back to work breaking down brush so Kouga would have a clear place to put the mirror.

"Well what?" he replied, tossing another bunch of under-bush onto the fire.

"You stopped in the middle of a sentence, duh," she replied, hands on her hips, eyes narrowed. "What were you going to say?"

Shippo sighed, "I was trying to think of an appropriate word to describe the Detective and your 'Lab-Partner'… but found that I couldn't think of anything nice to say…. So… per my dear mother's sweet instructions… I didn't say anything."

Kagome shook her head snickering at the innocent look the mischievous Kitsune attempted to give her.

"Yea," she muttered, "totally not buying the whole, 'innocent' routine; worked when you were little, not so much anymore."

Shippo sent her a grin over his shoulder that was wide enough his fangs were visible. Grinning at him; Kagome 'accidently' smacked him with an oversized, very leafy branch.

Startled, Shippo growled, spitting out leaves as Kagome broke down in a helpless fit of giggles.

"Think that's funny, do you?" he asked, glaring at the laughing woman. Kagome eyed her son warily as he pulled several leaves out of his hair. Emerald green eyes narrowed in her direction as a decidedly evil smirk curled the demons lips.

"Heh…heh…no hard feelings…right? Shippo…?" Kagome said, nervously backing away from the grinning demon.

"Of course not….mother dearest…" Shippo purred sweetly; Kagome didn't bother to wait, she recognized that tone of voice. With a shriek she turned and bolted toward the house; surly her own mother would save her from the evil, plotting demon?!

"Get back here!" Shippo yelled, behind her.

* * *

Yusuke and Kurama stood behind a quiet Kuwabara as they gazed up the long set of stairs that would take them up to the Higurashi Shrine.

"So she does live on a Shrine?" Yusuke muttered.

"Actually, this is her family's home," Kuwabara replied, stiffly; the sensitive human had yet to forgive them for insulting the young miko he had befriended. "From what I understand, Kagome moved into an apartment not too far away a couple years ago,"

"So if she doesn't live her, why are we here?" Yusuke snipped, still smarting from having to admit his best friend was right about something… and now he would have to apologize to two people he didn't trust and wasn't sure he even liked.

Kuwabara glanced over his shoulder toward the obnoxious demon; but didn't dignify the question with any remark. Instead he simply began the climb up the stairs; he could feel Kagome's warm, vibrant energy like a beacon at the top.

Now that he was acquainted with her; she was amazingly easy to sense. Then again; neither she nor the kitsune seemed to be subduing their energies… almost as if they…wanted to be found.

Kurama and Yusuke shared a look as Kuwabara silently made his way up the stairs; the big man had yet to speak more than a handful of words to either of them since the night before.

"Is it just me," Yusuke muttered quietly, "Or is a quiet Kuwabara just a little creepy?"

Kurama nodded; they had seen Kuwabara angry dozens of times… but never like this. The human was always loud and obnoxious… to see him so silent and…brooding was, indeed, unnerving.

The walk up the stairs was silent and more than a little awkward. Neither Kurama nor Yusuke knew what to say to lighten their friend's dark mood; after several failed attempts… they finally lapsed into silence.

A feminine shriek followed by an annoyed nonhuman growl; made them race up the last few steps. However, the sight that greeted them at the top was not what they expected.

"Stop running and take your punishment like a man!" Shippo's voice bellowed, as he chased after a small figure in dark clothing.

"But I'm not a man!" Kagome replied, dodging around the wide trunk of a massive tree. Kurama felt his eyes widen at the aura emanating from the ancient tree. It was so old it was almost…sentient…

"So I think I'll decline and instead… I'll raise you… a mud patty!"

Shippo barely dodge the gooey slop Kagome had hurled in his direction. He scowled as she scooped up another handful of mud from the puddle behind her; what had begun as a simple act of revenge had degraded into a full blown mud-pie fight.

Grandma Higurashi had denied her daughter's pleas of assistance and kicked the rambunctious duo back outside….where they had rapidly degraded into a battle that even most five year olds would pass on.

"Are they really having a…mud fight?" Yusuke asked, starring in wide eyed surprise. Beside him, Kurama had a similar wide-eyed stare… only for slightly different reasons.

True, the sight of two full grown adults, one who was over 500 years old, acting like children, lobbing balls of mud at each other was surprising….and just a little odd. However, the oddity was overshadowed by the sheer…joy on both participants' faces.

Kurama had never seen Kagome so happy. Her squeals of laughter filled the courtyard, complemented by Shippo's deeper tones. The love and happiness emanating from the couple seemed to radiated from them; filling the shrine with warmth that seemed to chase away the chill of the misty day.

Behind them, a bonfire roared; further adding to the warmth and overall carefree atmosphere.

Kuwabara smiled at the ridiculousness of the scene before him; he could feel the peace and tranquility of the shrine slowly eating away at the foul mood he was in. The annoyance he felt towards his friends was further chased away as he watched Shippo and Kagome play.

Kagome dodged under Shippo; ducking and rolling from the attacking kitsune. Kuwabara knew the moment Kagome spotted him because the dark-haired woman immediately bolted in his direction.

"Kaaaaazzzuuuuuuummmaaaaaaa!" she wailed, ducking behind he, "Help! You'll protect me right?"

Kuwabara glanced down at large water brown eyes, then at the advancing kitsune; who's normally brilliant copper hair was matted with mud and leaves. There was a devious glint in the demon's eyes that Kuwabara recognized all too well…. Shizuru use to get the same look on her face when they were little and he had done something to incur her wrath.

"Don't worry Kagome," he said, patting her head, his dark mood completely falling away. He turned standing straight, one figure pointed to the heavens, "I…Kazuma Kuwabara…." He dodged away from the woman, shoving her towards the kitsune, "AM so not getting involved!"

"Traitor!" Kagome shrieked as Shippo grabbed her, and hefted her struggling form over his shoulder.

"I'll get you for this Kazuma!" She bellowed. Kuwabara followed after the duo; curious what the demon planned to do to exact his revenge on his 'mother'… who judging from the amount of mud on the poor man… totally deserved it whatever punishment he dealt out.

As they passed the tree line behind the house; Kagome's struggles grew more intense.

"Don't you dare, Shippo!" she shrieked, "Put me down! Wait until I get my hands on you…you…you…. Evil, conniving, little….."

SPLASH!

Kuwabara starred in open mouth shock as Shippo tossed the struggling woman straight into a pond. Kagome came up sputtering and drenched; her hair hung limp as stagnant, muddy, pond water dripped into her face.

She glared up at Shippo who stood on the bank grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

"That's what you get," Shippo said haughtily; silently Kagome rose to her feet, her shoes sinking into the mucky bottom.

"I hate you." She muttered, "That's it, I'm so putting hair dye in your conditioner bottle… neon green…no better yet... hot pink..."

Slowly, Kagome made her way up the steep incline, muttering darkly as her feet slipped in the mud. More than once she slipped; sliding back down into the disgusting, foul smelling water. Above her the three demons and single human snickered.

"Stop your laughing and give me a hand!" she snapped, starting her climb again.

With a shared smirk, both Kuwabara and Shippo leaned down, reaching out to catch her arms. Neither noticed the evil glint in her eyes as she grabbed their wrists and jerked; putting all her weight behind the motion.

SPLASH! SPLASH!

Yusuke couldn't keep his laughter in check any longer as both the arrogant demon and amused Kuwabara, went head first into the pond; Kagome, too, fell back into the water… but from her grin, it was well worth it.

It took another twenty minutes to get the three out of the water as the pond suddenly became ground zero for a bizarre water-mud-wrestling match; as each person tried to scramble out of the water, only to be dragged back under by the other two.

"Yusuke! Help!" Kuwabara yelped, grabbing onto an exposed root as he attempted to pull himself free.

"No way, man," Yusuke laughed, "I don't want none of that… "

"Do I even want to know who started this?" a deep voice asked from beside them. Kurama and Yusuke both jumped; neither had sensed the wolf demons approach.

Electric blue eyes watched the battle with a smirk on his lips; inky black hair swished back and forth as he shook his head.

"Hard to imagine those two idiots are adults," he muttered.

"And he is a General of your army?" Hiei's voice stated from above, "How have you all survived again?"

The blue eyed demon laughed, "Shippo only gets like this around her… and vica verca…" he replied, "It's like they revert back to children…"

"They're both idiots." Hiei stated. The demon nodded in agreement,

"Yes," he said, "But they are entertaining idiots."

Suddenly a glob of mud flew past where the demon's head had been seconds before;

"We heard that Kouga!" Kagome hollered. The demon, Kouga, smirked from his crouch…

"It was meant to be hear, love!" he retorted, dodging another projectile - a small tree branch this time.

"Why I outa…."

Kurama tensed as this 'Kouga', turned to regard him and Yusuke with narrowed eyes; ignoring the swearing woman still floundering in the mud. Kurama felt his hand itch for his whip; there was a barely concealed violence behind those blue-eyes.

"Behave wolf," Hiei said from above, "You'll need them to get the answers you want."

Kouga turned to snarl at the fire demon.

"Shut it half-pint," he growled, "I'm aware of my duty. As soon as the three stooges get out of the muck…we'll talk. But…" he turned back to the other two detectives, "that doesn't mean that I don't hope they'll give me a reason."

"Anytime, mutt," Yusuke growled, popping his knuckles. A vicious light entered the wolf-demons gaze; for a moment, Kurama was sure he would take Yusuke up on his offer. However, blue-eyes instead clashed with crimson.

"Besides," he grinned, "You and I have unfinished business, Forbidden…This time… Daddy won't be around to break the fight."

"Hn," Hiei snorted, "He saved you from obliteration, be grateful…"

"What's the matter…" Kouga replied, "Scared?"

Crimson eyes glowed for a moment as Hiei gripped the hilt of his katana.

"Kouga! Behave!" Kagome snapped, suddenly appearing behind the elder demon and slapped him upside the head, splattering foul, muddy water across his head, neck and shoulder. "You and Hiei can settle your pissing contest later."

She turned to glare at Hiei, "You too, Hiei…."

"Ack…Kags!" Kouga whined, wiping his neck and grimacing, at the foul smell. Then, "Wait…how the hell did you get up here that fast?"

"And they call us childish," Shippo muttered, pulling himself from the mud-hole, dirty pond water dripping from his hair and clothes.

"I know right?" Kagome agreed, squeezing the foul liquid from her hair and deliberately ignoring Kouga's question. Her hair was a mess; there was mud and leaves sticking out everywhere and the rest of her… just… Ew….

Finally, her eyes settled on her two guests; "Afternoon, Yusuke, Kurama…"she said, politely, "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

"After some…discussion," Kurama said, hesitantly, "we've decided that we'd like to continue our conversation from last night….if you're willing?"

Kagome glanced at Shippo; neither particularly wanted to 'continue their conversation', as the red-head had so eloquently put it.

Yet...The General in Shippo needed to know what he was up against so he could plan the best defense; even as, the Son in him, wanted to do nothing more than protect his mother from any more potential heartbreak.

Kurama watched as the kitsune and miko seemed to have a complete conversation without saying a word. For a moment, he wondered if they had a telepathic bond… yet, Hiei hadn't mentioned such a thing the night before.

"Fine," Kagome stated, "We'll talk…. After we all get cleaned up."

Kurama wasn't sure what he expected when they walked into the house; perhaps a mother as messed up as Yusuke's… or a family as oblivious as his own… instead, Mrs. Higurashi was warm and friendly.

She greeted her daughter's guests like they were life-long friends. Both Shippo and Kouga were greeted with smiles and Kouga was given a hug despite being dressed in fur and having his dark bushy wolf tail visible.

Kagome was immediately sent upstairs to get cleaned up; while Shippo and Kuwabara were instructed to stay in the washroom while a teenage boy, named Souta, went to get them robes to wear while they waited their turn to shower.

Once the two were no longer dripping; they all were ushered to the large table set in the middle of the kitchen and tea was given to each.

Seeing the uneasy looks on his friend's faces, Kuwabara waited for the elder Higurashi to leave to check on her daughter before casting a grin at his friends,

"Relax guys," he said, "She ain't gonna bite. Mrs. Higurashi is one of the nicest people out there."

"And she doesn't mind demons," Souta said coming back into the room, "Least as long as you're not going to hurt Sis… you aren't…right?"

"Heh…I hope not kid," Yusuke muttered, his stomach clenching as he realized that he could very well end up hurting the girl… depending on what was going on, and what Koenma said.

The boy narrowed dark eyes on the demon who spoke; he may not have the vast spiritual powers like his sister… but unlike his Grandfather… HIS sacred sutra's actually contained power.

"That wasn't very promising," Souta stated, as the other two demon 'family' members tensed. "I believe the correct answer, Mr. Uremashi, is 'of course not, I'd never hurt your sister'."

"Look kid," Yusuke said, beginning to get irritated, "I don't want to hurt your sister, but the fact is, until some stuff is cleared up…I can't promise that."

"Fair enough," Souta said, with a smile, looking for al the world like the good-ol-boy he appeared to be. He glanced at the Red-head, who was watching him out of the corner of his eyes, and the smaller demon who stood apart from the group.

Shippo and Kagome had told him a bit about what had happened and he knew enough from talking to Kuwabara; that it was Yusuke who was the unofficial leader of their group. The other two were powerful, he could feel the press of their energy; it was nearly stifling without his sisters to counter-act it... Yet, even with as powerful as they were; they still tended to follow Uremashi's lead.

Kuwabara watched as Souta studied Yusuke; a dark shadow had fallen over the kid's face as Yusuke spoke. He knew that Urameshi disregarded the teenager's words; he wasn't nearly strong enough, physically, to challenge the demon. Yet… how many powerful demons had underestimated Yusuke when he had first become a Spirit Detective?

He may not have been the powerhouse is sister was; but his aura glowed just as bright.

"I understand," Souta said, a smile curling his lips, if but for the gleam in his dark eyes, Kuwabara would say the boy looked innocent. The teenager stuck out a hand towards Yusuke.

"Kags has been through a lot," he said, "I worry 'bout her, but I know you have a job to do…. No hard feelings about the fifth degree?"

Yusuke grinned up at the boy, at ease and arrogant like so many demons tended to become. He took Souta's offered hand as it appeared; a supposed peace offering….

Yusuke jerked as it felt like someone had shoved his hand into a live electric socket. Everyone came to their feet as Yusuke desperately tried to pull his hand away from Souta.

The Mazoku snarled at the teenager, his eyes glowing red, purple markings appearing on his face; he cradled his wrist to his chest, smoke wafted up from the appendage.

"You fucking brat," Yusuke snarled; Souta just smiled, that sweet, innocent, good-ol-boy smile.

"I told you, Mr. Urameshi," he replied politely, "The correct response was, 'I will never harm your sister'. As I've said, she's been through enough and that bloody jewel has caused her enough grief. I couldn't aid her last time; but I'll be damned if I allow you to threaten her….In my own fucking house no less."

Kuwabara felt his eyes widen as Yusuke looked down at his arm; a white sutra was wrapped around his wrist like a bracelet….the edges still smoldering.

"Now…" Souta stated, his voice still eerily calm, "If you so much as THINK about harming one single strand of hair on her head…" he smiled, a vicious curl of his lips that was more reminiscent of the toothy grin of a demon then a human smile, "Then you'll experience pain like what you just experienced…tenfold."

Kurama stood, only to freeze as Souta looked at him.

"I can make one for you too Red…" he said sweetly, "Won't take but a minute…"

"This is uncalled for," Kurama growled, "We did not instigate violence against you or your house…"

"Fancy words," Souta stated, "I'd expect no less from one such as you. So I'll choose my words very carefully, hurt my sister… and there isn't a God in existence that will keep me from hunting you down."

As if sensing the growing tension in the kitchen; Mrs. Higurashi chose that moment to walk back into the room, followed by a freshly washed Kagome.

Kagome paused as she felt the violence hanging in the air; the scent of burnt hair and…ozone clung to the air. She glanced at her brother; he wore a calm and peaceful façade… but she knew better than anyone how misleading that particular look was.

"Everything…ok in here?" she asked, sitting between Shippo and Kouga. Kurama and Souta starred at each other for several long moments…while Yusuke glowered at the younger teen.

"Yea," Souta said with a grin, "Everything's fine, Sis…just doin' my brotherly duty and making sure your new _friends_ have good intentions toward you."

"Souta….."

"Ah, ah," He replied, "'Tis my brotherly duty… surly you wouldn't deny me that?"

"Stop threatening people," Kagome chastised, "You're beginning to sound like InuYasha…"

The teenager's smile grew, "I'll take that as a compliment…." Then before she could retort, he disappeared down the hall, "Later Sis…"

"Dandgum irritating brat," Kagome muttered, then turning back to her guests, "I'm sorry about that, he gets protective of me now, after everything that happened…. I hope he didn't offend you."

"No…no, he didn't offend us," Kurama hedged as it became apparent that Yusuke was going to remain silent; probably contemplating murder.

"So who's next for the shower?" She said with a grin; she'd find out what her brother did; but for now, there were other matters to attend to.

**A/N: O.M.G. I'm so sorry this chapter took so long. I've had it done for a couple weeks...but I just didn't like it. So I'd go back and add stuff or delete other parts. I'm still not overly happy with it... parts yes... but over all no... I was hoping to get a little further along in the plot...yet I realized that what I had was already over 10 pages and nearly 5,000 words O.O I figured that I needed to cut it off and start fresh with a new chapter. Next chapter will have Boton and hopefully *crosses fingers* we'll FINALLY get into Reiki to see what's going on...**


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don't own IY or YYH

Lies By Omission

Chapter 10

Kagome sat quietly as Yusuke finished his tale. At first, the Detective hadn't spoken a word; allowing Kurama to speak, telling his portion of their story.

Who would have guessed that her quiet lab partner was once the infamous demon thief Yoko Kurama? It certainly explained the cold and malicious gleam Kurama's eyes would get on occasion...and the gorgeous silver haired being with adorable fuzzy ears that had overlaid his person the first day of class.

Yusuke, on the other hand, his story was nearly as far-fetched as her own. Saved by a single act of Sacrifice and screwed by the same act…. Too good for Hell, but not good enough for Heaven…. Talk about getting the shitty end of the stick there.

The fox avatar had briefly touched on Hiei's back story; the smaller stoic demon remained silent throughout the tale. Somehow, it didn't surprise Kagome at all that Hiei had wanted to enslave the human race. It also didn't surprise her that the quiet swordsman was ballsy enough to break into the Reikai vault.

"And you thought Kagome's story was far-fetched?" Shippo stated with a grin as Yusuke fell silent. Yusuke glared at the copper-haired fox.

"Indeed," Kagome said, causing Yusuke's teeth to snap together, effectively silencing the snide comment he was about to toss at the kitsune. "You all have had such amazing lives; small wonder all of you are so strong."

Shippo tried to suppress his smirk as Kagome unwittingly unleashed the full power of her smile upon the helpless demons. Both Kurama and Yusuke starred at her with matching stunned expressions as Kagome smiled brightly and complemented them on their battle prowess. Not even the mean little cuss in the corner was able to remain unaffected by his mother's genuine warmth and acceptance.

Shippo glanced at the demon beside him and saw a smirk on the wolf's face. Even after all these years, Kagome still had no idea the sort of power her personality seemed to have on demons.

"Give it another couple days," Kouga whispered, "And she'll have them all wrapped around her little finger…"

Shippo smirked, unable to refute the wolf's prediction.

His momma had a way of making even the surliest demon adore her; just look at how fond of her Sesshomaru had become. Only Rin and Kagome had ever made the cold demon lords eyes soften with affection.

* * *

Kurama wasn't sure how to react to Kagome's praise; he hadn't been expecting it. The fact that she KNEW who Yoko Kurama was, was miraculous enough; the fact that she praised his cleverness and skills in battle as she listened to Yusuke's stories… that grew more and more animated as it became clear that Kagome was an interested and captive audience.

What had started off as a sullen demon giving the cold hard facts of his 'story' to a potential enemy… had rapidly evolved into a happy Yusuke retelling their adventures as he would to a friend.

Kagome had once again blind-sided him. Every time he thought he had a handle on the young woman; she did something to completely throw him for a loop.

"If it makes you feel better," Shippo muttered softly, as to not distract the two young people from their conversation, "She's done this to all of us."

Kurama gave him a questioning look. Shippo nodded towards Yusuke, who was in the middle of telling an enraptured Kagome, about the Dark Tournament match with Team Masho in great detail.

"Those odd feelings of having someone accept you completely despite your flaws and despite the hurt you may have caused them," Shippo replied to the unspoken question, "To know that no matter what, that one person will always be there for you…. And will care for you even when the whole world is against you…."

"Trust me," Shippo said, "Once you have that… nothing else in the world will ever compare to it."

From the corner, Hiei snorted in disbelief, "With that sort of mindset," he stated, "It's amazing the girl is still alive."

Shippo nodded, "She attracts trouble," he agreed, "Or rather that damn jewel does."

"Equal parts Kagome and Jewel," Kouga stated, "When I snatched her the first time, the fact she could sense the shards was a plus. Even if she didn't have that ability I would have nabbed her." Both Shippo and he grinned at the memory, "but alas, she was hung up on that stupid dog…."

"Oh yea," Shippo muttered, "Totally InuYasha's fault… and had nothing to do with the fact that you were a poster child for demonic playboys and totally forgot you had a fiancé already."

"Hey, she didn't know about Ayame until later!"

"Fact of the matter is," Shippo said, ignoring his friend, "Kagome was only with us for about four years; we, in the Western Lands, have spent the last five HUNDRED waiting for her…."

_Could she have really effected so many?_ Kurama thought, _it's hard to believe._

_Believe it, fox,_ Hiei's cold mental voice stated, _her interactions within that tribe were… odd…_

_Odd? How?_ Kurama asked, intrigued. Hiei's confusion had been plain in his 'voice'; to have let such an emotion slip, the experience in the Western Lands must have been far more unsettling then he had initially lead Kurama to believe.

Only silence met his questions; Kurama scowled at his friend. Damn the Imko and his blasted secrets. Getting anything out of the apparition was like pulling teeth. Kurama was sure the demon did it on purpose; knowing full well that it would cause his curiosity to go crazy. His fox-self LOVED puzzles and mysteries….

* * *

Kagome listened intently as Yusuke spoke; it had taken a while for the Detective to warm up to her, but now the wariness and barely veiled aggression had faded from his voice. For the first time since meeting him; Kagome could understand how this young man had managed to gain the respect of so many demons.

Even as removed as the Western Lands were from the events of the Makai; still word of this young human-turned-demon had managed to filter through. Shippo and Kouga both had mentioned Yusuke and his team, having witnessed their trials during the Dark Tournament and then again during the Makai tournament.

They were two sides of a coin, Yusuke and her; so different, and yet so similar. Both humans thrust into a demon filled world by a strange twist of fate, only to find out that they were a little more than 'normal'.

He had his enhanced spiritual powers and hidden demonic heritage; she had her own budding powers and the Shikon no Tama hidden within her body.

Then there was also their uncanny ability to gain the respect and even, dare she say, affection of demons who had once been enemies; she smirked at the thought.

Yusuke paused in his story, seeing the amused look on the young priestesses face.

"What?" he demanded, feeling his neck and ears heat with a blush as he suddenly realized that he had essentially been talking the woman's ear off.

"What, what?" Kagome asked, blinking at the blush that suddenly crept across the demons face. How…cute! When was the last time she had seen a demon blush?!

"You were looking at me weird….and smiling…" he replied, shifting uncomfortably. Kagome blinked, trying to suppress a smirk at his actions.

"I'm not allowed to look at you and smile?" she asked innocently, "You were telling an amusing story…"

"No….I mean…Yea… it's not that… it...uh…" Yusuke gave her a glare, "You were looking at me weird."

Kagome couldn't help it; the indignant look on the Detectives face was to priceless… plus he was actually… _pouting_. Kagome laughed.

All conversation seemed to pause as a wave of pure happiness and mirth washed through the room like a wave as Kagome's laughter echoed in the small space.

_Wow…_ Yusuke thought, as the priestess' energy seemed to wrap around him; he had expected it to hurt, Kurama had told him that a Miko's energy could burn and completely purify a demon depending on their strength….

Yet, he didn't feel any pain as her energy washed over his; instead, he felt warm and comforted… like being wrapped in a warm blanket… or in a loved one's hug.

Not even his own mother had made him feel this….safe...and…loved?

Kurama clenched his hand against the warmth of her energy; he could clearly see that the Miko's strange powers were affecting the young demon lord. Kurama glanced at Hiei; the other demon was sitting on the counter, his back against the wall, arms crossed and eyes closed.

For all the world he looked to be completely unaffected by the energy radiated from the Miko; yet, Kurama knew the other male well enough and long enough to know that he wasn't nearly as unaffected as he'd liked everyone to believe.

The Imko's body, normally held in a tense readiness, had relaxed… the lines around his eyes had softened…. He too was feeling the near drugging effects of Kagome's power.

Was that her strategy? Did her energy somehow drug demons, making them more pliable? Causing them to feel a strange sort of attachment to the woman and thus…protect her?

Kagome's looked back at Yusuke; who had a stunned expression on his face, almost as if someone had slapped him.

"Yusuke?" she said, reaching over to touch his knee, "Are you alright?"

The Detective blinked, his face growing an even darker red if possible.

"Yea," he muttered, "I'm fine…."

She frowned, had she somehow managed to insult him with her laughter?

"I didn't mean to upset you," she said softly, completely misinterpreting his embarrassment, "I wasn't really laughing at you… it's just…with you stammering like that and then pouting… you were just too adorable."

Adorable?

Shippo barely concealed his own mirth as his mother suddenly realized that she had just called her guest 'adorable'… he hadn't realizing two people could turn such a vibrant shade of red.

"Anyway," Kagome said, trying to change the subject, "When you were talking it just dawned on me that we have a lot in common. It's kinda funny, is all. It's nice to know that I wasn't the only teenager who Fate decided to play with,"

She paused for a moment, then seeing the puzzled look on Yusuke's face, continued,

"I mean, we were both tossed into a world of demons as young teenagers. Neither of us were really 'normal' to begin with, what with your demonic heritage and me having the jewel. Then, we have a habit of somehow managing to turn enemies into friends. All your friends were demons you fought and beat at some point. All MY friends where demons who tried to kidnap me or steal my jewel shards…" Kagome cast a pointed look at the two demons beside her.

"Heh…" Yusuke laughed softly, "Yea…you have a point. I never really thought of it like that…." He rubbed the back of his neck, and sighed, "I guess I have been kinda a dick to you… it wasn't like it was your fault that Botan decided to be stupid and try and steal something…"

Kagome patted his hand, "What's done is done," she replied, "From here on out is a new page. You were worried for a friend; that's not something to be ashamed of. Botan is very lucky to have a friend like you."

In the corner, Hiei snorted in disgust. Kagome cast a sidelong glance at the fire demon,

"She is lucky to have all of you… there aren't many who would go to the lengths you all have gone to protect a friend."

"That fool is NOT my friend," Hiei growled.

"Me thinks the fire demon doth protest too much…" Kagome replied with a smirk. Hiei glowered at her, turning to glare back out the kitchen window. Score one for Kagome!

"Speaking of which," Kagome said, "How is your friend?"

"Better," Yusuke replied, with a faint smile, "Yukina said she was still weak… but she had improved tremendously already."

"Good," Kagome said with a wide smile, she wouldn't admit that the girl's fate had weighed heavily on her mind all night, and wasn't far from her thoughts that day. "I'm glad I was able to get to her in time."

"Me too," Yusuke said, "Look, I never did say thank you for…helping her yesterday. Botan has been with me since I died… she may be overly bubbly…and bossy….and has this uncanny ability to pop in at the worst times… but she's still …. She almost died a few years back when she tried to hide the Netherworld's power orb inside her body… she such an innocent…and to know that…it almost happened again…."

"It's ok Yusuke," Kagome said with a soft smile, she had never met a demon-or man for that matter- that could apologize without it sounding like it was killing them. Add to that trying to get them to admit that they cared for someone…. Yea, she'd have an easier time pulling teeth out of a live –angry- crocodile.

"I understand," she said, "When she wakes up, I'd like to visit her again… just to make sure that there isn't any miasma lingering. It doesn't take much to start to taint someone's spirit."

"MAN! THAT FELT AWESOME!" Kuwabara's voice bellowed as he came back into the room, "I don't smell like sewage anymore!"

"Pity the shower didn't do anything for your looks…"

"What was that Urameshi?!"

"I'll take that as MY cue," Shippo said softly, "But unlike big man… I won't take three hours."

"Hey! I wasn't in there THAT long!"

"Dude…you were totally in there for…like…ever…" Yusuke snipped.

"Was not!"

"Was to"

"Was NOT!"

"Was TOO!"

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

Kagome glanced away from the two arguing friends; who were nose to nose… or as close as was possibly with their height difference. Kagome took the lapse in conversation to make another pot of tea and make some ramen.

She blinked back tears as the scent of the cooking noodles reached her; the scent never failed to remind her of InuYasha. Despite the years that had gone by; she still felt pain at his loss. What would her over-zealous best friend have thought of these detectives?

She laughed softly to herself; what a silly question. She knew without a shadow of a doubt what InuYasha's response would have been…. He would have attacked the Detectives, swinging Tessiaga wildly and practically destroying her family shrine before Kagome finally SAT him. Then, he would have sat in the corner, much like Hiei, and growled and snipped at the other males.

InuYasha never played well with others and it would take months for the temperamental hanyo to warm up to anyone.

No, it was probably just as well that he wasn't here; she would be constantly breaking up fights if he was.

Still….

She swallowed hard as a pang of loneliness pierced her heart. She would have felt more confident if InuYasha was there. With him beside her; she had felt invincible. She knew Shippo and Kouga would protect her… but… they would never be able to replace that annoying, obnoxious, loud-mouthed hanyo.

Shaking her head to clear herself of the melancholy; Kagome turned and set the pot of noodles on the table. Passing out bowls and chopsticks; they ate in relative silence. The bickering between Kazuma and Yusuke only quieted due to the food both were shoveling into their mouths.

Suddenly, a loud ringing noise filled the quiet kitchen. The Kurama and Yusuke both froze; then began patting their pockets.

"Where is that damn communicator," Yusuke growled under his breath. Finally, he found the compact-like contraption in his jacket pocket.

He flipped the top and Yukina's ethereal face filled the screen. There was a muffled noise from Kuwabara as he attempted to stand, breath, swallow a mouthful of noodles and speak all at the same time…

"Yukina," Yusuke said, ignoring his friend as the fool began choking and sputtering. "What's wrong?"

"My apologies for bothering you," Yukina's soft voice replied, "But Master Genkai asked me to call you…"

"What is it?" Yusuke snapped, his anxiousness bleeding through. A growl behind him warned him that he had better check his tone when speaking with the korime. There were very few things that would set Hiei's temper off faster than upsetting his soft-spoken twin.

"Botan is awake," the ice apparition said with a smile, "Master Genkai asked for me to inform you. She's still weak, but she's awake and asking for you."

"Thanks Yukina," Yusuke said only to have his communicator snatched out of his hand. He rolled his eyes as Kuwabara began talking or rather…cooing to the demoness.

"Well," Yusuke said, looking up at Kagome, "It seems Botan is awake… did you still want to see her?"

"Yes, I would." Kagome stated, a thrill of anticipation racing down her spine. Finally they would be getting some answers.

* * *

Less than an hour later Kagome and Shippo quietly followed the three detectives up the excessively long staircase to Genkai's temple. Kagome could sense Hiei flitting far ahead of them; she suddenly envied the demon his speed. These stairs were MURDER!

They had decided that Kouga, under the guise of not wanting to upset the recovering woman, had stayed at the shrine to install the transportation mirror. With Souta's help; the two of them would be able to get the mirror set up and calibrated, so by the time Shippo and Kagome returned with news, they could immediately head to the Western Lands via the mirror and report to Sesshomaru.

The elder psychic met them at the top of the stairs, her dull pink hair falling limply around her shoulders and face. Immediately Yusuke approached his teacher; somehow sure that her presence meant that Botan had taken a turn for the worst.

"Is she…?"

Genkai gave him a droll look; "Go see for yourself, dimwit."

Like a shot, the young mazoku was gone; Genkai smirked at the impatient youth and shook her head. Turning back to her guests, she gave a small bow to the priestess and her kitsune companion.

"It's good to see you again, Kagome," she said, her voice soft despite its natural gruffness.

"Thank you, Master Genkai," Kagome replied with a bow of her own, one that was echoed by Shippo, "It's good to see you again."

"Staying out of trouble, fox?" Genkai asked, smirking at the overly innocent look on the boy's face.

"Of course…." He replied, with a wink; Genkai rolled her eyes.

"Honest," Shippo insisted, "I'm only in trouble if I'm caught…and I'm rarely caught."

* * *

Botan dozed lightly, enjoying the warmth of the sunbeam she was laying in. She felt remarkably well for someone she knew had been close to death. That odd, dirty feeling that she had gotten from holding that damned jewel was gone as well.

What had happened?

She could recall fleeing the Wolves of the West and running into Yusuke… then… that was where things got fuzzy. She vaguely remembered a fight… then a fuzzy image of a dark haired woman… then… It was like some dark film was pulled over her eyes… she remembered…Oh Kami… she had attacked Kurama!

No...No…not her. That evil, slimy, presence that resided in the jewel… it had attacked Kurama. She hadn't been able to move. She could remember that. She could remember screaming in her head, fighting with her own body as it moved of its own accord.

She hadn't been able to do anything.

After that…nothing. She couldn't remember anything. No…that wasn't right… she remembered pain. Such an intense pain, it nearly rivaled the pain she had experienced when Yakumo ripped his power sphere from her body.

Yet, the energy that pained her also tried to comfort her. It was a cleansing pain. Pure.

Hurried footsteps down the hall roused her from her thoughts; she instantly recognized Yusuke's long stride. The man may be light on his feet when he fought, but any other time he sounded like a herd of elephants stampeding down the hall.

He hesitantly slide back the door to her room; a rarity, since Yusuke was never hesitant about anything.

For a moment he seemed to stare at her, unseeing. His dark eyes filled with worry and his face pinched with the stress.

"Yusuke…" she whispered giving him a small smile, her throat sore and her voice hoarse; though she wasn't sure why.

The Detective's tall frame sagged in relief at hearing her voice. He grinned as he sauntered into the room, flopping down next to her; so close to her hip that she could feel the heat of his body through the blanket she had draped over her.

"You scared the shit out of me," he growled, giving her a glare that lacked any heat. "How are you feeling?"

"Weak…"she replied truthfully, "but all in all, better. I ache really badly, that's about it. Is everyone ok? What happened?"

Suddenly her eyes went wide, "That jewel… where is it?"

"Back where it belongs," A familiar soft baritone stated from the doorway, the sound sent shivers up Botan's spine. "With its guardian."

Botan felt her heart do an unpleasant flip-flop in her chest at the sight of the tall coppered-haired kitsune standing in her door; though her heart nearly siezed in fear at the sight of him, Botan couldn't help but notice how stunning the demon was. His copper hair shimmered in the sunlight pouring through her window, even as forest green eyes glittered mischievously at her from under those gleaming locks.

Botan glanced at Yusuke, who sent an annoyed glare at the Western Land's guard, but otherwise didn't move.

"You gonna move anytime soon?" an annoyed feminine voice asked, even as the kitsune jumped and let out an undignified yip.

"Dammit," he growled, at the person behind him, rubbing his side, "That hurt!"

"Then move your abnormally large fox rump before I decide to spank it," the female snapped, "You act like a kit and I'll treat you like one."

The kitsune let out an amused snort, but stepped aside.

"May I remind you," He growled, almost playfully, "I'm technically older then you."

"Details, details," a dark haired woman said, waving away his words, muttering, "Terrorizing my patient, what the hell is wrong with you… stupid males…"

Botan stared at the young woman who walked into the room, sending a warning glare at the kitsune; who grinned wickedly back at her.

Long dark hair flowed down the woman's back and shimmered with dark midnight blue highlights. Large dark eyes regarded her with warmth and a touch of concern. Otherwise, plain; it was the woman's aura that left Botan speechless. Though the energy was wrapped tightly around the woman's body…her energy glowed brilliantly, like a mini-sun. It was pure, untainted by any darkness.

And there, lying so casually around her neck, just above the swell of her breasts… was an iridescent pink gem the size of a marble. No, not A gem… _THE_ gem. The jewel Botan had been charged with stealing from the Western Lands.

She glanced between the kitsune and the woman; the fox's words echoing in her tired brain. Guardian?

Suddenly her eyes widened as his meaning sank in. The Guardian of the Shikon no Tama…?

"Oh…my…" Botan said softly, at a loss of words. What could she possibly say to a living legend? A woman that, according to Reikai's records, had mysteriously appeared five hundred years ago only to disappear as abruptly and mysteriously four years later, after the grisly battle with the demon Naraku.

Very little was known about the mysterious priestess that befriended a half-demon and helped destroy one of the most dangerous demons of the time. Those that had been alive in that time and had been rumored to have interacted with the woman; guarded her memory viciously. Thoses that did speak of her, did so in soft, reverant tones... only a few human records exsisted that mentioned the great priestes. No, demon records had ever been found... almost as if the story, her story, had deliberatly been lost to the sands of time.

Koenma had always assumed she had passed on, and that her demon allies had hidden her grave; yet they had never been able to find any record of her death… or her life. Then again, not knowing the priestess' name made it impossible to look up any records. All they had to go on were rumors and old stories handed down through the generations.

"My lady miko," Botan said softly, attempting to bow in her reclining position.

"Please, none of that," she replied, waving away the formalities, "My name is Kagome. It's good to see you are doing better….Botan, right?"

The reaper nodded, her pink eyes flicking from the priestess to the Western Guard; she swallowed hard.

"Am I to be arrested?" she asked, fearfully looking back at Yusuke.

"No," Kagome said, speaking before either Yusuke or the guard could open their mouths. The copper-haired kitsune made a sound of disagreement. Kagome turned a dark look on him, effectively silencing his protest.

"Fine," the kitsune replied, "But you get to fight with Fluffy on that topic should it arise."

"Of course," Kagome replied, moving further into the room to kneel next to Botan.

"I'd like to check and make sure I purified all of the miasma from your energy," Kagome continued, "Will you let me?"

Botan glanced at Yusuke's quiet form sitting next to the priestess, silently asking for his opinion; perhaps one of her greatest friends, she would trust Yusuke's judgment.

"It's not gonna hurt her anymore, right?" Yusuke asked, looking at the miko, "Last time she was in a lot of pain…"

"No," Kagome replied, lightly patting the Mazoku's hand that was resting on his knee, "It only hurt the last time because the Miasma had such a strong hold on her. I don't sense any taint on her this time; so it shouldn't hurt at all. I just want to make sure. Naraku was always a sly bastard; I want to make sure his taint isn't still hiding in some shadowy corner."

Botan gulped, "N-Naraku? W-What's he got to do with anything?"

Kagome smiled at her, "It's nothing to worry about. When you took the jewel, it was a dark purple, nearly black color correct?" She paused long enough for Botan to nod, "Well, part of the reason why, is because there is a constant battle raging within the jewel. It had been in Naraku's possession so long, that his energy remained in the jewel. I wasn't able to completely purify it before I was forced to leave. Without its priestess; the taint within the jewel grew. When you touched it, that tainted reached out to you. That little part of Naraku, confined in the jewel, attempted to use you as its next vessel. Even though the jewel was removed from your possession; the taint upon your energy remained and continued to grow. Fortunately, your friends were able to contact me and I was able to cleanse you of this taint before Naraku's essence could corrupt you further. However, he was always a stubborn creature; so his removal was painful. I'm glad you were unconscious for it."

"Is that why I hurt so much?" Botan asked; Kagome nodded.

"The body is reflecting the wounds on the spirit," she replied, "But don't worry, it'll fade with time. Like all wounds…it'll heal."

Botan sighed, "Ok…I mean, you can check and make sure…that _thing_ isn't lurking around somewhere…"

Kagome smiled, reaching out to take Botan's hand. It took a moment for Botan to relax as she felt Kagome's warm energy slide up her arm. The sensation wasn't at all odd or invasive as Botan expected; instead it was warm and comforting.

She glanced at Yusuke and was surprised to see the young demons eyes closed in, what could only be described as reverent bliss. A small smile curled his lips and the tension seemed to have drained from his body.

After a few minutes; Kagome opened her eyes and released Botan's hand. Her energy lingered for a while, filling the room and basking everyone in its warmth.

"Botan," Kagome said softly, "Now that that is done, I need to ask you a few questions. Do you feel up to it?"

"Hey, you didn't say anything about questions?" Yusuke grumbled, all the tension returning to his lithe frame.

"Would you prefer I ask the questions, or hand her over to Shippo? Or perhaps Kouga? Or more likely….Sesshomaru?" Kagome replied, turning to give her friend a solemn look. "The fact remains that for some reason, she was sent to take possession of the jewel. Though, I will not arrest her and am willing to forgive this; I need to know why."

Yusuke crossed his arms and looked away; unable to deny that even he had questions about why Botan would do such a thing that was so obviously suicidal.

Botan looked at her lap; "I know what you are going to ask….and I don't understand why I was sent after the jewel. Koenma had never shown any interest in it before other than to ponder over what happened to you, Lady Kagome. Then, one day he starts acting…odd. Nothing I could put my finger on exactly; but it was a nagging feeling. Suddenly he wants Jorge to get him all the information they can find on the jewel and its where-bouts."

Botan shuttered at the memory of her boss, the man she adored above all others, as he sat at his desk with a strange, crazed look in his eyes, scouring over the ancient texts for any reference of the legendary artifact.

"He didn't eat, he didn't sleep…. No work was getting done. He refused to speak to Jorge or me…. And he...he…"

She paused, unsure how to explain the next part without sounding ridiculous.

"He..?" Kurama prompted from the corner. When had he come into the room? Matter of fact, when had Hiei and Kuwabara come into the room either?

"He didn't… feel right," Botan said, struggling to explain, "I mean, not just his energy… which felt odd too. But, physically. I touched his arm; trying to pry him away from the texts to eat… his arm was hard and unyielding. He was in his adult form, so I know that he is a bit more muscular then in his toddler form; but this… this was different. It was… almost… wooden?"

Botan shuddered; recalling how Koenma hadn't felt even remotely alive…there had been no give to his skin and muscle. It was like touching a solid piece of granite.

"Not long after that he instructed me to travel to the Makai," she said, "I attempted to bring my concerns to King Enma but he refused me. Instead, I was instructed to follow Koenma's instruction. So…I did."

"Why didn't you come to one of us with these concerns?" Kurama replied. Botan looked down,

"No one else seemed to notice his odd behavior… so I….thought perhaps I was mistaken…" she said softly.

"Hn, foolish woman," Hiei's hard voice stated, "You should never ignore your instincts."

Botan flinched at his words, though didn't refute them; he was right after all.

* * *

Kagome frowned at the obviously distressed woman. Something just wasn't adding up. She couldn't detect any falsehood in the woman's words; yet, they didn't make any sense. Why would the ruler of Reikai want they Jewel? Moreover, why had his father, Enma, not noticed his son's odd behavior? Were they working together? But _WHY_? They were gods for Pete's sake.

Kagome glanced back towards Shippo, who was watching the young teal-haired woman intently. He glanced toward her; suspicion and confusion mirrored in his emerald eyes.

"Thank you very much, Botan," Kagome said softly, "Now I believe it would be best if you got some more rest. You should feel much better by tomorrow morning."

With that, she rose, shooing everyone but the quiet attentive korime from the room.

"Honestly," Yusuke asked, coming up behind her as they walked back out to the courtyard, "Is she going to be ok?"

Kagome turned to look at the young demon; worry pinched his brow and tension hummed in his muscles. She reached out and clasped his shoulder;

"She will be fine, Yusuke," Kagome said softly, allowing her energy to flow out and sooth him. "I promise, by tomorrow she'll have enough strength to start moving around the shrine. Within a week or so, she'll be right as rain."

The tension seemed to drain from the Mazoku's face; whether it was from her words, the soothing effects of her energy, or a combination thereof… she wasn't sure.

Though, now that she was looking…exhaustion etched lines in the young man's face. All of them, with the exception of perhaps Hiei, were exhausted.

She looked around at the three men and pursed her lips.

"Uh oh…" Shippo muttered, backing a couple steps away. "I know that look…"

"When was the last time any of you got a good night's sleep?" Kagome demanded, pinning the three detectives with a stern look.

Lounging in his tree, Hiei smirked as the three floundered at her tone. He also didn't miss the fact that the Oh-So-Great Shippo had inched his way slowly away from the priestess and was now trying to blend into the tree trunk.

"The great and powerful Shippo, General of the Western Lords Army, is running scared from a young human girl," he taunted, "How pathetic."

"Mock me all you want half-pint," Shippo muttered, "You've never seen what Kagome can do…."

"Please, you are a half-millennium old demon," Hiei scoffed, "What could she possibly do to you?"

"Heh," Shippo growled, "This is coming from the same demon that I spent over a day and a half torturing and wouldn't say a word; and yet, here comes that same lowly mortal…she talks to you for what…five minutes…and whatever SHE said obviously was enough to get YOUR attention…"

Hiei growled, glaring down at the copper head below him; the fox's eyes hadn't left the woman who was now shoving and dragging his three friends into the shrine… apparently sending them all to bed; much to the amusement of the elder Genkai.

Hiei didn't speak after that; the fox had made his point. Though the woman lacked the physical strength to injure him; she was still a force to be reckoned with. She was just as cunning as Kurama; he had to remember that. On the surface she was kind and loving, but when all the fluff was stripped away… the woman could be as ruthless as any demon.

"Do you believe her?" Shippo asked suddenly. Hiei blinked, the fox had moved away from his tree, but hadn't gone inside. He sat on the edge of the porch that surrounded the temple.

"Botan," Shippo repeated, "Do you believe her?"

"Hn." Hiei replied; unwilling to discuss anything with the kitsune. Though he had to cooperate with the annoying General; Hiei hadn't made any deals with him. His commitment was made to the priestess, not the General, or the Lord of the West.

A few moments later, Kagome and Genkai came back outside, the younger woman carrying a tray filled with cups and a pot of fresh tea.

Kagome was silent for a moment as she filled cups and handed them to Shippo and Genkai.

"Hiei," she called, "Would you like some tea?"

She wasn't surprised when garnet eyes barely glanced at her, before closing again. Still, she knew the demon enjoyed tea… even if he was too proud to accept it from her. She balanced the cup on a branch; within easy reach should the stoic demon change his mind.

Hiei glared at her through slitted eyes; dammit there she went again… being _nice._ His attitude and distain toward her never seemed to faze the woman; she simply ignored it and went about her business. A part of Hiei wanted to cut the woman down where she stood. She had figured out one of his deepest fears and used that against him….he was justified, his basest survival instinct demanded it. Yet… yet, another smaller part… felt a sort of pride for her because of that.

Hiei viewed kindness as a weakness; often telling his teammates that their continued mercy on opponents would be their downfall. However, much like he had with Yusuke; Hiei was finding more and more reasons to…be…tolerant of the priestess. The fact, confused him and infurated him.

"So," Kagome said, after a moment, "What do you think?"

"The girl wasn't lying," Shippo stated, "Least not as far as I could tell."

"Botan can't lie," Genkai stated, "She'd tell on herself within minutes."

"The girl is an idiot," Hiei stated, cooly, "But the hag is right, she's not clever enough to make up a story like that."

"And this Koenma?" she asked, taking a sip of her tea.

"He too is an idiot," Genkai stated gruffly, "But, generally he's a decent sort. It is unlike him to be so concerned an artifact."

"Unless it came from the Reikai vaults…" she added with a sly glance toward the dark demon in the tree.

"If Koenma was seeking the Jewel," she continued, "It would be to add it to the vaults. To keep it away from those who would use it for evil."

"Though he is a fool," Hiei stated, "Even he would not want to start war he couldn't hope to win."

"Agreed," Genkai stated, "Even Koenma isn't that stupid."

"Then if he wasn't acting on his own," Shippo said, "Could someone have forced his hand? His father perhaps?"

Silence met his question.

"It would not be out of the realm of possibility," Genkai finally stated, "Generally, though, Enma pays little attention to anyone aside from himself. Botan's misgivings were probably ignored, not because they were misplaced, but rather because she was beneath King Enma's notice."

"Hn" Hiei agreed.

"So we'll file that in the 'maybe' category," Kagome said, "Fun. Okay… next possibility… possession? Botan said he was acting out of character."

"Possible…" Genkai said, "Doubtful, but possible."

"Is there any way to get to Reikai to see Koenma?" Kagome asked, "It should be easy enough to tell if he's possessed."

Hiei snorted.

"The only way we have of getting to Reikai is through Botan," Genkai stated.

"So…we wait." Kagome said, "When she regains her strength, we'll go to Reikai and investigate this ourselves."

* * *

**A/N: Another Chapter done. I know I said we'd be getting into Reikai in this chapter... but it just didn't make it. Next for sure! LOL. Thank you to everyone who reviewed. I love you guys! This is the highest reviewed fic I've ever posted. I'm so stoked.**

**Also, I'd like to thank Flaming-Twilight for pointing out such an obvious 'oops' in my writing. When I first read your review, my immediate response was... 'no i don't. I know how to spell Reikai and know the difference between 'Reikai' and 'Reiki'. It must have just been a typo...' well yea... of extensive porportions. I can't believe how many times I've done that. *face palm* All I can say is that my fingers obviously had a mind of their own. Smh. Anyway, thank you for pointing it out. I made doubly sure I spelled it right this time. LOL.**

**I hope you enjoy and as always REVIEW!**


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own IY or YYH

Lies By Omission

Chapter 11:

* * *

Kagome wasn't quite sure what she had been expecting when she followed Yusuke through the portal into Reikai; but a place that resembled a modern day office with blue skinned ogres running around….was not it.

She blinked owlishly at the general chaotic atmosphere of individuals' running back and forth, papers scattered everywhere, and noise… so much NOISE. Good, god in heaven, where ogres always so loud?

Kagome and Shippo fell into step behind the four Reikai operatives as they moved confidently through the chaos. Ogres and other employees scrambled to get out of their way; nearly tripping over themselves in their haste

"Is it always like this?" Kagome whispered softly to the reaper walking beside her. Botan grinned;

"More or less," she stated, "Ogres tend to be a flighty bunch on the best of days… and none of them really like the guys."

Shippo snorted in amusement, "What's not to like," he muttered sarcastically.

Botan cast a timid look at the kitsune, still wary of him despite Kagome's assurance that Botan would not be dragged back to the Western Lands for punishment.

"Well," Botan replied, "they can be pretty scary at times…everyone knows that if it wasn't for Yusuke, Hiei would have let his Dragon devour this entire compound already."

"Hmph," Shippo huffed, "That's probably one of the few things Shorty and I would agree on."

"What do you have against Reikai?" Botan demanded. Forest green eyes cut towards her, cold and hard as chips of stone.

"They took Rin," he stated simply and coldly, moving a few steps ahead of the women. Kagome sighed and shook her head.

"Rin?" Botan asked softly, not wanting to further antagonize a demon who already scared the bejeezus out of her.

"Rin was a young human girl that Lord Sesshomaru adopted nearly five hundred years ago," Kagome explained, "Her and Shippo were about the same age back then and were very close."

Shippo rolled his shoulders as he walked; suddenly feeling claustrophobic within the tight office hallway. He wanted to kick himself; he hadn't meant to mention Rin.

Much like his mother still ached for InuYasha… Shippo still ached for Rin. He had loved her more than life itself; when she died….. Only his love for Kagome kept him from following his young mate and pup.

Only Sesshomaru knew that Shippo had taken Rin as his mate in her twenty-second summer; by her twenty-fifth…. She had been carrying his pup. He had been so happy. Even the stoic Sesshomaru had been looking forward to meeting his grandchild. They had guarded the young mother viciously. Life had been…perfect.

Then, in the last two months of her pregnancy; Sesshomaru had been called away to battle, being trained as his heir apparent, Shippo went with him. Leaving Rin at home, surrounded by loyal Inus, and tended by herbalist and half-demon Jinenji…. They had believed she would be safe until their return.

Shippo clenched his fist at the memory; the familiar rage welling up at the senseless destruction their enemies had wrought. They had known they wouldn't be able to defeat Sesshomaru in battle; so instead they lured him away from his den…. And slaughtered everyone.

Men, women…children. It had been a massacre. For what? Possession of that stupid, god-forsaken jewel InuYasha had given to his brother to safe-guard?

The enemy had hoped the loss would weaken Sesshomaru. They had discounted the sheer _rage_ the seemingly stoic Inu-lord kept hidden beneath the surface of his cool façade. Sesshomaru and Shippo had carved a bloody swath through Japan as they hunted down every single creature that assisted in the attack, destroying them utterly and leaving their mangled corpses for their brethren to find.

It wasn't long after that that they crossed paths once again with Koga and formed their strange tribe. It took years to rebuild, centuries for both the Inu and Okami tribes to begin to re-form….

Yet still, his pain hadn't faded with the centuries. In fact, it seemed that hollow ache in his chest had only gotten worse. Only the love for Kagome, his human mother and the only other woman he had ever allowed into his heart, had kept him from following his little mate into oblivion.

Instead, guarding the jewel became his sole purpose, until the day he could finally see his Kagome again; then he would guard her…and that thrice cursed jewel. He wouldn't lose another woman he loved to the curse of that damnable gem.

A small, warm hand slide around his elbow, linking arms with him; he smiled down at the petite form of his mother, even as her energy reached out to him, soothing the pain and rage his memories had called forth.

She looked up at him as he escorted her down the seemingly endless hallway; a question clear in her dark eyes. He gave her a reassuring smile; perhaps one day he would tell her of his loss… but, not today. She was still grieving over the loss of her friends to the sands of time; there was no reason to add to her grief. Let her continue to mourn their loss; never knowing that at one time…she would have been a grandmother….

Finally, a large wooden door appeared before them. Yusuke didn't bother to knock; the young demon lord simply threw open the door with a resounding BANG!

A teenage Koenma sat, hunched over his scrolls; his honey colored eyes blood shot and more than a little crazed. His normally neat brown hair was ratty and sticking up in places…. And his ever present pacifier...was missing.

Immediately Yusuke pulled up short; eyeing his boss warily. Botan was right… something was definatley off about the man.

"Damn Koenma," Yusuke growled, storming up to the god's desk, scrunching his noise up at the foul smell that hung in the air, "What the hell?"

"Yusuke…" Kuwabara said from slightly behind him. Having not moved from where he stopped at the door. "Thats….not Koenma…"

Yusuke turned to glance over his shoulder, startled.

"Huh?"

In front of him, the crazed Koenma began to laugh; eyes zeroing in on Kagome as she peeked around Kuwabara's broad frame.

"The jewel….I sense it… give it to me…" Koemna's look-alike shrieked, suddenly leaping across the room towards Kagome with inhuman speed.

Kagome let out a small, surprised shriek as she ducked back behind Kuwabara, shoving both Botan and Shippo back out the door.

The doppelganger was thrown back as energy flared to life from Kuwabara's hand; somehow resembling a tennis racket rather than his usual sword. The creature hissed, showing long snake like fangs as it flipped in midair, smoke rising from its torso where Kuwabara's energy had struck him.

"Holy shit," Yusuke swore, leaping away from the hissing creature that now looked like some emancipated version of his friend and boss.

"Now it all makes sense," Kurama growled, rose whip flaring to life, his eyes never leaving the creatures, "A doppelganger…"

"A dopple….what?" Kuwabara exclaimed, as the creature suddenly scurried up the wall like a giant spider.

"A doppelganger, fool," Hiei snarled, darting forward, katana drawn. The doppelganger, laughed manically; knocking Hiei away easily within the confined space.

Hiei caught himself before he crashed into Kurama.

"How the hell are we supposed to fight it in such a confined space?" he growled, glancing at their tactical strategist.

Kurama narrowed his eyes at the creature; who once again darted toward the door, single minded in its intent to get out of the office. His rose whip lashed out; forcing the creature back. They were at a stalemate; it couldn't get past them….but they couldn't get to IT.

The doppelganger snarled in frustration as once again it was forced back from the door.

"Ideas oh ?" Yusuke muttered to Kurama; waiting for the fox to pull another clever idea out of his ass that neatly solved their problem.

"Working on it Yusuke," Kurama hissed, "it's not like I can summon my death plant now can I?"

Yusuke cringed at the memory of the vile, vicious and all around blood thirsty plant Yoko had employed in the Dark Tournament.

Suddenly, the creature let out a shriek and threw itself against the wall; which exploded under the force of the doppelganger's strength.

Outside the office, Kagome and Shippo had been pacing the corridor when the wall, less than half a dozen yards from them, exploded outward. The two whirled around to face the perceived threat; instinctively dropping into defensive crouches, even as Botan fell backwards with a surprised shriek.

Dust and plaster rained down upon them, filling the hall with debris and choking white dust.

"What the fuck are those idiots doing?" Shippo snarled, brushing debris from his person as he straightened; beside him, Kagome straightened, flicking wood casually from her shoulder.

A tall monstrous form rose above the dust; its shadowy form nearly touching the high ceiling.

"Well, well, well," Kagome said, slightly annoyed at having one of her good outfits covered in dirt and plaster. She eyed the creature critically, "What do we have here?"

The creature resembled some strange humanoid spider; long spindle legs braced itself on the floor and walls. Two of the legs appeared to have remnants of cloth still wrapped around them. Pants of some kind perhaps? The torso had twisted and lengthened-yet somehow still remained human-like; deep, rich fabric hung in tatters on its form.

It's long, knobby spindle arms braced against the walls; claws sinking into the plaster. Its face still claimed the attractiveness of its victim only marred by the overly large protruding fangs. JR blazed upon its forehead, partially obscured but unruly auburn locks.

"Surely that's not their boss," Kagome muttered; "Cause if it is….daaaaayum."

"I dunno..." Shippo muttered, "Koenma does have insect-like tendencies..."

"The jewel! You have it!" The creature shrieked its voice deep and seemed to echo. "Give it to me!"

Kagome rolled her eyes and shared a look with Shippo.

"Not this shit again..." she swore, "You'd think after five hundred years they'd come up with a better phrase."

"Are we really going to get to kill the ruler of Reikai?" Shippo asked, his emerald eyes darkening and sparking with a manic light, "Because I'm ok with that…"

"That's not Koenma!" Yusuke hollered, appearing in the doorway behind them.

"Ya think?" Shippo replied, resisting the urge to roll his eyes at the detective as he blocked a clawed arm as it sailed toward his chest. He kicked out at the creature, wrenching the things arm from its socket as it was shoved back.

"Whenever you're ready, Kagome," he said, tossing the appendage to the side.

It had been years since she had to use her spiritual power in offense; yet, the brilliant purplish-pink glow came easily to her hands forming a bow and arrow even as she stepped back to take aim.

"On my mark," she said, her focus narrowing; her target was big, impossible to miss in the narrow corridor. Yet, because of that, her aim had to be perfect; if she so much as twitched, the arrow could hit her Shippo in the back of the head.

"Mark!" She shouted, releasing the arrow. Bright blue-white fox fire filled the hall, wrapping around Kagome's arrow, much like InuYasha's Windscar used to.

Kurama watched in surprise as Kagome's spiritual arrow flew past Shippo's ear, so close it singed his copper locks even as brilliant blue-white flame leap up to meet it. The flame wrapped around the arrow and plunged straight into the doppelgangers torso.

The creature let out a horrendous shriek as it disintegrated into ash, leaving behind nothing but a wooden doll wrapped in string.

"Holy...shit..." Yusuke breathed; this was the first demonstration of Kagome's offensive abilities he had witnessed.

"So...that's... uh...a...uh...mikos power...huh..." he stumbled over the words. Kurama nodded.

"They were meant to be the check and balance to demons," he replied softly.

Kagome starred down at the deceptively simple cracked wooden doll. No matter how long she looked though, it didn't disappear or change.

"Is that what I think it is?" Shippo asked softly, coming to stand beside her. She nodded; Shippo swore softly under his breath.

"Impossible," he growled, kneeling down for a better look, "you, InuYasha, and Sesshomaru vaporized him. There was NOTHING left."

"You know as well as I do that doesn't mean a damn thing," Kagome replied, her voice hard. "How many times during our journey did we think we killed that bastard?"

"But...Miroku's wind tunnel disappeared," Shippo argued, desperately trying to deny the possibility that his childhood nightmare had returned.

Kagome snorted, "it disappeared during the time he was dormant in Kohaku's body...waiting for Princess Kaguya to awaken, remember?"

Shippo closed his eyes as a chill ran down his spine; for a moment, the last five centuries seemed to fall away and once more he was the small defenseless kit huddling against his human mother's leg.

With a vicious shake of his head, Shippo snatched up the broken doll and stood.

"Well I guess it's safe to say that whatever that was..." Yusuke muttered, "It wasn't Koenma."

"Nice to know you have a firm grasp of the obvious, Detective," Hiei retorted, turning to focus on the priestess and her companion.

"What is that?" Kuwabara asked, noticing the carved wooden pieces clutched in Shippo's hand.

"A doll," the fox replied, his voice devoid of emotion.

"Dude, you play with dolls?" The taller youth teased. Shippo glanced at him; his normally vibrant green eyes dull.

Kagome took the fragments from her distraught fox; she understood why this new possible development might bother Shippo as much as it was. After all, Shippo had been young when they had fought the spider hanyo. She knew he had more nightmares that featured Naraku then he did of the demons that killed his father.

"Hiei," Kagome said, focusing on the smaller demon. "You are able to find people using your Jagan correct?"

The temperamental demon snorted and crossed his arms in response.

"Can you find the one who made this?" She asked, holding out the broken doll.

"Why?" Yusuke asked, "What good would that do?"

"Indeed," Kurama agreed, sensing that for whatever reason the doll disturbed their two associates. "We need to focus on finding Koenma."

Kagome looked at Kurama; her dark eyes were cold, hard, and backlit by a dull pink glow.

"Five hundred years ago," Kagome said, "a vicious hanyo used dolls identical to these to create puppets that he controlled. He was a master manipulator and had no qualms of using these puppets to trick friends and even lovers into believing that their loved ones betrayed them. He didn't fight a physical war so much as a mental and emotional one. He enjoyed breaking people and turning friend against friend."

Kurama felt his eyes widen as the priestess spoke; beside him, Hiei tensed. They both had heard of the hanyo Naraku that had caused such turmoil in Japan. Neither one had met the creature; having their own agendas at the time.

But they had heard tales and seen the aftermath.

"Naraku?" Kurama breathed. Kagome nodded solemnly.

"It took the combined might of InuYasha, Sesshomaru and myself to kill the bastard," Kagome said, "but he has resurrected himself so many times... it was impossible to be sure."

"We kept an eye out for years," Shippo added, "but we hadn't so much as smelt a whiff of his miasma. After a century, we figured he was dead in truth. But it wouldn't have been the first time he's gone dormant, giving everyone the illusion he was dead."

"So," Kagome said, "if you can find the one who made this," she indicated the doll, "we will find the one who is responsible for that doll…And probably find your boss."

Reluctantly Hiei took the fragmented wood. He pulled the bandana from his forehead; the Jagan opened with a near chortle of glee. The dark entity prowled the edges of his control; straining against the metaphorical leash he had on it.

It focused on the priestess, who shone a brilliant pink-white in his minds-eye. The Jagan wanted to taste her...to delve into that mind, to find the darkest memories and twist them...to corrupt that pure light...

_'Not now_,' Hiei growled, wrestling the entity back under control. "_Find the owner of this…"_

Reluctantly the Jagan focused on the wooden fragments; he rolled the energies around with his mind, tasting the spiritual 'scents' on the item.

Kagome's was the easiest to pick up; her bright iridescent aura was unmistakable. The fox's, all too familiar blue-white, the same color as his flames; was instantly recognizable and discarded just as quickly.

There were faint traces of Botan and the ogres… all easily identifiable and discarded. The last, though, its energy was black and twisted, streaked with red and dark purple.

Now that he had the psychic scent of his prey; he fully opened the Jagan, searching the three worlds for one unique scent.

* * *

"How long is this going to bloody take?" Yusuke demanded some time later. Kurama glared at his impatient friend,

"He's mentally searching the three worlds, Yusuke," he stated, his eye twitching slightly in irritation, "Perhaps we should wake him and let you have a go at it?"

Yusuke growled and stalked to the other side of the room to continue his anxious pacing. Kurama could feel the beginnings of a migraine forming.

Across from him, leaning against the wall, Kagome and Shippo spoke softly. Neither seemed to notice the time as they talked, nor the debris scattered everywhere, or the ogres moving in and out to clean up the mess.

Sitting next to them, Botan and Kuwabara listened intently to the other two; relaxed and seemingly at ease.

How he envied them that. In fact, he envied the ease of which they were able to trust Kagome and the other kitsune. It was a testament to their innocent and caring natures that neither was plagued by the doubts and suspicions Kurama was.

He glanced at Hiei; the fire apparition had been carefully moved from where he stood over to lie on the couch, out of the way of the ogres cleaning spree.

Absently he tapped his thumb against his knee; his mind whirling over the implications and possibilities for Koenma's disappearance.

Could Naraku really have resurfaced? He knew the hanyo was rumored to have been powerful; but could he really have gotten the drop on Koenma? The man was a god after all; granted a minor god, but still a god. To what purpose would someone had kidnapped Koenma? It wasn't as if it hadn't happened before; but back then, it had been fanatics…. And they had stated their demands fairly quickly. If Botan's assessment was to be believed; Koenma had been acting strange for the better part of two weeks.

How was it that no one took notice that their boss had changed? How come Enma hadn't noticed the absence of his son? Surly the fact that Reikai was becoming backed up with souls awaiting judgment couldn't have gone unnoticed by the elder god? And if Enma did indeed known and was in turn, turning a blind eye to what was happening… that begged the question… WHY?

Kurama sighed and pressed his fingers to his closed eyelids in a vain attempt to relieve his throbbing headache. He never got these dreaded things before…

He felt the air move slightly to his left as the scent of lavender grew stronger… Kagome...

He glanced over at the girl from the corner of his eye; the motion, however, sent another painful throb through his forehead.

"Are you ok?" Kagome asked, her voice soft, barely a whisper of breath against his cheek.

"Yea," he replied, "Just a headache is all…."

Kagome smiled, "It helps if you try not to think about it," she stated. Kurama paused and risked another glance at her.

"Not think about what?" he replied, again Kagome gave him a small smile.

"Everything," she said, "All the 'what if's, the 'why's, the 'how's…. just try not to think about them. You'll just cause yourself stress."

"Hm.." he retorted, not really commenting.

"Seriously," she replied, giving him a gentle nudge, "Worrying won't help. Trust me. I use to worry about all those things… and you know what it accomplished? Not a bloody thing. Just made me loose precious sleep, and made me stressed and cranky."

Kurama felt his lip twitch upward and sighed, "Alright," he replied, "What do you suggest I think about?"

"Do you think your fan-girls have noticed that the two of us are missing?" she asked, the randomness of the question taking him by surprise.

"Huh?" he asked, knowing like he sounded like Yusuke or Kuwabara in that moment.

"You think the fan girls have noticed that we're missing?" she repeated, "Moreover, do you think one of them has jumped to the conclusion we're missing '_together_'?"

He laughed again as she made quotations above her head and deepened her voice a bit on the word 'together'.

"Yes, I'm sure they have noticed my absence," he replied, with a sly grin, "Yours…not so much."

"Oh I hope so," Kagome agreed, solemnly, "They were hateful before… Imagine what would happen if they knew we spent time together outside of school," she gasped dramatically, "the horrors! Oh the evil text messages would abound! The hateful glares! The vile whispers…." She collapsed backward with a theatric sweep of her arm. Then abruptly she turned on her side and grinned, "Good thing they probably haven't connected the dots yet…"

Kurama couldn't help but shake his head at Kagome's goofiness. Who would have thought the legendary Priestess of the Shikon No Tama was such a goof-ball?

Shippo watched as Kagome flirted with Kurama; effectively forcing the other kitsune's mind away from his worries. He smirked and shook his head slightly.

"What are you smirking at?" the blue haired woman sitting between Kuwabara and he asked. He nodded toward his mother.

"Those two," he replied, "Red doesn't realize yet that Kagome's done set her sights on him. Doubt she even realizes it yet."

Botan glanced at the dark haired miko as she made another dramatic sweep of her arm, scrunching her nose and twisting her lips into a bizarre face that managed to surprise a soft laugh from the kitsune avatar.

"She likes him?" she asked, watching the two. It was really the first friendly interaction Botan had seen between Kagome and Kurama. Kurama had seemed extremely stand-off-ish toward the young woman. Honestly Kagome seemed to be closer to Yusuke and Kuwabara… and even the anti-social Hiei, then she was to Kurama… which was in and of itself bizarre.

Normally Kurama was one of the friendlier personalities of the four.

"I think he interests her," Shippo replied, "And vica verca…. They watch each other, warily circling, not sure if they should trust one another, yet still attracted… It's subtle…. Like I said, I doubt either of them even realizes it yet."

"Oh…" Botan said, suddenly feeling out of the loop. She watched the couple for a moment; they certainly did make an interesting couple, didn't they? Kagome's dark hair and eyes somehow seemed to off-set Kurama's brighter more exotic coloring. She wasn't certain if there was any real affection there yet; but she had to agree with the fox, there was definatley interest.

She glanced at the fox beside her; he watched the couple, or rather the young priestess, with a small smile playing across his lips. Shimmering copper hair fell across his forehead, partially obscuring his brilliant green eyes. She had never thought she would see another being with eyes as bright a green as Kurama's; go figure that it was a kitsune who proved her otherwise…. She wondered, was it perhaps a kitsune trait?

She shook her head at her thoughts; why was she even wondering about the fox? He wasn't one of the group; in fact he was barely even, what she considered, 'friendly'. He was cold and cruel….and ruthless…and...and…

Shippo glanced down at her and gave her a small crooked grin. Her heart fluttered in her chest and she barely suppressed the urge to let out a dreamy sigh.

Who the hell was she kidding? He was probably one of the most handsome creatures she had ever laid eyes on; which, considering that she was normally surrounded by gorgeous demons, was really saying something.

And that crooked smile… it should be outlawed. No male should look that handsome… of mischievous… or...or…downright sexy with just a single expression!

It just wasn't fair!

Across the room, Hiei's eyes shot open; startling Kuwabara, who had leaned down to make sure their short friend was still breathing.

The ginger haired human let out an undignified squawk as he scrambled backward; effectively putting himself on his ass. Garnet eyes regarded him calmly, with only a touch of amusement evident in their depths.

"'Bout fucking time, pipsqueak," Yusuke growled, "What did you find?"

Hiei ignored the detective-turned demon and turned to regard the young miko he was forced to assist. Perhaps, 'forced' wasn't the proper term; granted he had been forced to talk with the young woman… he had chosen to assist her; though, again 'chosen' wasn't really accurate either. The miko may have given him a choice in the matter; Hiei was not naïve enough to believe that the stoic Lord Sesshomaru would have allowed him to live despite the miko's protests, should he have refused. At least this way, he got something in return for his services.

"Are you ok?" she asked, leaving Kurama's side to come kneel in front of him. Hiei blinked for a moment, he had figured that, like the detective, she would be asking about his findings….and yet… instead she asked about his health?

Kagome let her eyes wander over the fire demon's face, taking note of the slight shadows under his eyes and the exhaustion that dulled his garnet gaze. She suddenly wished for her oversized yellow backpack; despite being home and living a blissful peaceful and otherwise boring life for the last few years… Kagome had always kept that faithful bag packed with basic survive essentials. Just in case.

Figures when she needed it, she didn't have the blasted thing. Hell, she didn't think she'd require it with a simple visit to Reikei to see Yusuke's boss.

Still, she or Shippo always had something on hand…

She glanced at Shippo, who was already reaching into one of his many pant pockets and tossed her a small foil wrapped bar. She sent a thankful grin up at him then turned back to a puzzled fire demon.

"Here," Kagome said, ripping open the chocolate and peanut butter protein bar and held it out to Hiei, "It tastes horrible, but it'll help restore a little of your energy."

Hiei eyed the small bar with suspicion and distaste; the thing didn't even smell edible.

"I swear," Kagome said, "It's not poisonous… least, Shippo and Koga didn't have any problems… InuYasha either. You're not allergic to peanuts are you?"

Kurama turned to the side, discretely trying to conceal his amusement in the form of a cough; the look on Hiei's face was priceless. The poor apparition didn't know what to think of Kagome. It was obvious she made an impression, but it appeared that even Hiei wasn't sure whether it was a good or bad one.

Garnet eyes flicked toward him and hardened to stony chips; Hiei did NOT like being laughed at.

Reluctantly, Hiei took the food bar from Kagome and took a tentative bite… it tasted horrible; but… Hiei had eaten worse in his life. Not by much… but he had eaten worse.

"Come on man!" Yusuke snarled, his impatience rearing its ugly head again.

"Yusuke…." Kagome growled, making all the demons pause for a moment at the inhuman sound coming from such an innocent looking human, "Give him a minute…"

Hiei took another bite of the tasteless food bar and glanced at his partner-in-crime; Kurama met his gaze then shifted his focus once again to studying the priestess. Had they missed something vital? Did Kagome somehow have demon blood? Humans generally didn't growl at each other; that was a demon trait…

Yusuke glared at the kneeling miko, his own growl echoing in the room; the miko ignored the demon, turning back to Hiei and deliberately giving the other her back.

Yusuke's eyes flashed at the insult, his human-self warring with his demonic instincts to assert his dominance. Suddenly, he yelped in pain as the sutra, all but forgotten on his forearm, blazed for a moment.

Yusuke clutched the appendage and clenched his teeth against the sudden, blinding pain that swept up his arm like lightning.

"Son of a bitch…" Yusuke breathed, as the pain finally faded, it took him a moment to realize that Kurama and Kuwabara had taken him outside to 'cool off'.

"Dude, are you alright?" Kuwabara asked, Yusuke swore and shook out his hand, which now felt like he had pins and needles all over it.

"Yea I'm fine," he grumbled, "I'm gonna beat the shit out of that kid,"

"I take it you were thinking unkind thoughts toward her?" Kurama asked, once again hiding his amusement behind a cool façade.

"Fuck you, Red," Yusuke snapped, "I'm fine now, let's go back in…"

* * *

"You know, Kags," Shippo said, "If you wanted to piss him off, there were better ways to do it."

"Oh hush," Kagome said stiffly, "I didn't mean to piss him off… he was just irritating me. He just kinda hit a nerve I guess,"

"Reminds you of a certain dog-eared bastard…."

"InuYasha wasn't a bastard," Kagome said automatically, "He knew who his father was and technically speaking his parents were mated…."

Shippo shook his head and laughed, "I didn't mean it literally, Ma,"

"Oh…" Kagome blinked, suddenly realizing she had somehow regressed back three years, "Dang, habit I'm sorry."

Shippo shrugged, "Being 'round the Wolves and me aren't doing anything for your human appearances either," he stated, "Nice growl by the way…"

Kagome glowered at the smirking kitsune behind her, "Yea, all my hard work to try and act more human and bam…. Barely a week around you guys and you have me growling like a freaking Inu again!"

"Not my fault," he replied, laughing, "I was just an innocent kit, back then."

Hiei listened to the teasing banter between the fox and miko; he couldn't help by think how odd a pair they were. By all accounts; both should never had made it out of the feudal era.

"Are you feeling better now Hiei?" Kagome asked, noticing that he had finished his food-bar.

"Hn,"

"Guess so," Shippo muttered, "So…what did you find?"

Hiei glared at the fox, "I do not answer to you, fox," he sneered.

"Now, now," Kagome said, standing up to break the line of sight between the two demons, "There's no reason to get nasty…"

Hiei sniffed in distain, "I found your energy," he stated, looking at Kagome, "It's coming from Kuronuma(1)."

Kagome felt Shippo stiffen behind her, "Are you sure," he demanded; Hiei regarded him coolly.

Shippo swore; fishing out his phone and stalking past Yusuke, Kurama and Kuwabara as they reentered the room.

"What happened?" Yusuke asked, glancing between Hiei and Kagome. Kagome shrugged and looked questioningly at Hiei;

"What's Kuronuma?" she asked.

"Kuronuma?" Kurama hissed, glancing for confirmation from Hiei.

"What is it?" Yusuke demanded, crossing his arms in annoyance.

"You should know this Detective," Hiei stated, "Surly you've memorized Makai geography by now?"

"Kuronuma isn't a 'what'," Kurama explained, "It's a 'where'; and the where is the problem. Kuronuma is a swamp deep within the Makai interior. It's pure wilderness, Yusuke, everyone steers clear… which generally isn't hard since it's on the opposite side of the Western Lands. Bandits use the swamp to loose authorities; there's something about the energy there that makes tracking nearly impossible… which begs the question…"

"The energy that was on this thing," Hiei was tossing the broken wooden dolls on the couch cushion next to him, "Is covering the forest. It's subtle though, it blends into the swamps naturally occurring miasma."

"Natural occurring Miasma?" Kagome repeated swallowing hard.

"Koga is sending a patrol out to the Southern border as we speak," Shippo said returning to the room, "Ginta and Hakkaku should be able to pick up some sort of scent. Ayame and Koga will meet us at the border and will escort us to the Palace."

"Will the Western Lands assist us in finding Koenma?" Kurama asked; Shippo shrugged.

"Doubtful," he replied, "However, with the possibility of Naraku still being alive… finding Koenma may be the best course of action."

"What exactly does that mean?" Yusuke demanded.

"It means," Kurama replied, "That for the moment we remain allies."

* * *

**A/N: Yaaaaaay I finally got another chapter done. Woohoo! LOL. I hope ya'll enjoy it. Sorry it took so long. I had a bout of Writer's Block, which was compounded by a stoopid evil plot bunny. Also been working on the next installment of Call of the Dragon. So I have a question for yas... I know for that Arc everyone was wanting some more KagxYus fluffy goodness... which I intend to do...but the main piece I'm working on is the next segment...and is not fluffy at all. So, my question to my readers is this... shall I hold off publishing the non-fluffy next installment until I get a few more nice happy fluffy YusukexKagome moments... OOOOR... go a head and post the next installment and get to the fluffy parts as they come to me? Your choice! And as always REVIEW!**

(1)Kuronuma literally means 'Black Swamp' in Japanese –or at least according to Google it does.


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